ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders entered this offseason with a young quarterback, a revamped culture and a far different outlook than a year ago.
“We’ve arrived, and that changes expectations,” owner Josh Harris said. “We welcome it and, we’re just going to work harder to create a situation where next year we win.
The Commanders advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1991 season, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. But Washington also was the last team to beat the Eagles this season, having done so in December.
But, while last season was spent looking for a general manager (Adam Peters), coach (Dan Quinn) and quarterback (Jayden Daniels), this offseason will be spent finding ways to build on a 12-5 regular season, one capped by two road playoff wins.
The Commanders have the third-most cap space in the NFL plus seven draft picks. They have the offensive rookie of the year in Daniels. Quinn liked to say they didn’t need to rebuild this past year, just recalibrate. Now? It’s about continuing to build to win not just next year but for the foreseeable future.
“The floor has risen,” he said, “but we’re nowhere near where our ceiling’s going to be and that fires me up.”
To reach that ceiling, the Commanders face three key questions:
How will they build around Daniels?
Daniels was named the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year and finished seventh in the MVP voting in 2024. A franchise that couldn’t solve this position for decades appears to have finally gotten it right. Daniels threw for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns; he rushed for 891 yards and six more scores.
The added benefit: He’s on a rookie contract for the next several years.
“We have a massive opportunity,” Harris said last week. “None of us are taking that lightly.”
Daniels didn’t just impress teammates with his play. It was the way he worked that first opened their eyes — showing up at 5:45 a.m. in the spring for extra work, showing a deep understanding of the playbook, picking the brains of veterans on both sides of the ball.
There’s a reason tight end Zach Ertz said after the NFC Championship Game, “I wish I was 22 and playing with him and had my whole career ahead of me with him.”
Others in the league, naturally, took notice.
“I haven’t seen more of a cold-blooded rookie since l’ve been in the NFL and probably the past besides Lamar, probably past five, seven years,” Dallas linebacker Micah Parsons recently said on his podcast.
But Washington must improve around him. Multiple league sources pointed to the offensive line as the first place to fix. One executive pointed to running back as another spot to upgrade — perhaps adding more speed and playmaking ability alongside veterans Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr.
The Commanders also have only two receivers signed for 2025: Pro Bowler Terry McLaurin and Luke McCaffrey, who caught 18 passes this past season as a rookie.
“Because of the skill set he has, he covers up a lot of stink,” one NFL executive said of Daniels. “The offensive line is not good. It shows the league what can happen when you have that guy.”
How will they spend in free agency?
Washington enters the offseason with the third-most available cap space in the NFL — at approximately $70 million. The Commanders trail only New England and Las Vegas. Peters has repeatedly said that free agency is where a franchise should fill needs and the draft is where it must build the foundation of the roster.
That’s what Washington did last season, signing veterans such as linebackers linebackers Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu, Ertz, safety Jeremy Chinn, defensive ends Dorance Armstrong, Clelin Ferrell and Dante Fowler Jr., and Ekeler among others. Only three of them — Luvu, Ekeler and Armstrong — received more than a one-year deal.
While Washington has cap space, it also has the second-fewest players behind Kansas City signed for 2025. The Commanders have 43 players under contract — that’s 17 fewer than Arizona, which has the fourth-most cap space available, according to overthecap.com. Of the top 11 teams for cap space, eight have at least 50 players signed for next season.
So, while the Commanders have room, it remains to be seen how they attack free agency this offseason. They could also decide to pursue a deal for a veteran star such as Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett, who has publicly requested a trade. That would cost cap space and draft picks. But it would provide Washington with a game-changing defensive player.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry is “adamant” on not trading Garrett. Regardless, Daniels’ rookie contract affords them an opportunity to make moves they might not be able to when he signs his second deal.
“I don’t know how that translates to aggressiveness and free agency where Adam and Dan are hard at work and they’re going to advise me on that,” Harris said, “but certainly, we’re going to do everything we can to improve our team.”
Luvu said two weeks ago that he had already heard from players on other teams who said they wanted to play in Washington. It’s quite a reversal from the past.
“I got a few of them,” he said. “That’s the type of energy we’re starting to get.”
Which players will they retain?
Washington will need to decide which veterans to retain. While some league sources wonder what Wagner — who turns 35 in June — has left, the Commanders valued him not only for what he added on the field but also in the locker room. He developed a strong bond with Daniels and quickly became a respected leader.
Ertz finished the previous two seasons on injured reserve, but was a trusted target for Daniels, catching 66 passes with seven touchdowns. He’ll turn 35 in November but made it clear he’d like to return.
The Commanders have 28 pending unrestricted free agents. They also can create more cap room if they decide to cut defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, saving them $16.8 million against the cap (they could also extend his contract, which ends after 2025, and lower his cap hit). If they released veteran right tackle Andrew Wylie they would save $7.75 million against the cap.
Of the final 53-man roster, only 19 were with the franchise before this past season. More changes will be made this offseason. During the players’ final visits with the coaching staff and front office, one theme resonated with Peters.
“If we’re going to take away a lesson, that would probably be the biggest one is getting the guys that are Commanders, that are competitors, that love ball, love each other, and will play for each other,” Peters said. “We had a bunch of those guys on this team, and they liked playing for each other. It was really a cool thing to hear and so that’s what we’ll look for.”
Changes in the roster doesn’t have to mean an altered atmosphere in the building.
“Year to year, each team is different,” McLaurin said. “But when you have the culture and identity, that’s who you are no matter who’s here. That will be the emphasis. … I’m excited where things are headed.”
