#washington-commanders

#washington-commanders

The Washington Commanders will have some extended rest this weekend, which is precisely what they needed after six consecutive losses have dropped them to a pitiful 3-8 on the year. They are the NFL's single biggest disappointment, especially after qualifying for the NFC Championship game last year and starting 2025 with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. A multitude of factors have contributed, but above all, it's been a historically awful case of the injury bug.

Entering the 2025 season, the linebacker position was seen as perhaps Washington's single most significant strength. Frankie Luvu was the breakout gem of the Commanders' defense last season. Bobby Wagner, although he was aging, had to be considered an impact performer until he wasn't. Both were named second-team All-Pros in 2024. This season, it's been a different story. Wagner's age has finally begun to show, with his limitations making him a liability in space. His tackle numbers are still among the best in the league, but that's heavily misleading when his lack of speed is so often targeted.

It was a season in which the Washington Commanders were expected to challenge for the Super Bowl. Fans were legitimately hopeful for the first time in decades, but it's been an absolute disaster almost from start to finish. One can place plenty of blame on the torrid injury luck. But even if everyone was available, this squad looks a long way off from hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy right now.

In an effort to make sense of a disastrous season, Washington Commanders fans have pinned blame on general manager Adam Peters, on coaches like defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., and on injuries. But in the final analysis, the buck always stops with the players themselves. The Commanders certainly had holes in their roster at the start of the season and have undoubtedly been crushed by injury. But they still have many talented players who have not performed well this year.

Quinn revealed that everyone is depleted, and it's not just the players and coaches. That goes for fans, too. It's been an arduous, draining campaign that promised much but has fallen by the wayside. The Commanders are 3-8 when most were anticipating another postseason run. And it's not hard to see why attention is already turning to what promises to be a pivotal offseason for general manager Adam Peters.

True, it hasn't applied to all the starters, and the team has opted for second-rounders instead of firsts, but you can still see the vague outlines of the plan. Three recent second-round draft picks - safety Quan Martin, chosen by Ron Rivera in 2023, and cornerbacks Mike Sainristil (2024) and Trey Amos (2025), selected by Peters - supposedly form the core of a new and improved secondary.

Listed at 5-foot-10 and 183 pounds, cornerback Mike Sainristil is the smallest player on the Washington Commanders' roster. That has never been seen as a problem because of the Michigan product's savvy and toughness. But as Sainristil has struggled for much of this season, questions about his size have started to crop up. The common wisdom was that Sainristil would thrive this year because he would be able to move to his more natural slot corner position.

That wasn't very pleasant from Payne, who should have known better. However, this was set to provide the Commanders with a chance to see what 2024 second-round pick Johnny Newton could do from a starting role. Newton was relishing the opportunity. He's been a rotational presence once again this season, so this was supposed to be the audition for additional reps he'd been looking for.

Forbes put together arguably the best performance of his professional career against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 11. The Rams placed a significant amount of faith in the Mississippi State product, matching him up with wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba throughout. It was a massive leap of faith from head coach Sean McVay, but it paid off handsomely. According to Next Gen Stats, Forbes was matched up against Smith-Njigba 20 times, the most of any cornerback this season.

The front-office leader has a significant amount of hard work ahead. Washington has roster holes everywhere you look. Peters' gamble to run it back with most of the squad that achieved so much in 2024 has backfired. A disastrous run of luck on the injury front hasn't helped, but it's clear that this squad, as presently constructed, isn't capable of reaching the heights fans anticipated.

Considering how the Commanders' defense has been decimated by injuries this season, the fact that Washington's coaching staff hasn't gotten Kain Medrano on the field for anything more than 20 special teams snaps is a damning indictment of his development. The sixth-round rookie was extremely athletic and incredibly raw coming into the league. It seems as if the necessary progress hasn't arrived to inspire confidence as yet.

The Washington Commanders' defense has been nothing short of abysmal in 2025. It's been a significant reason they've failed to reach the heights of their shockingly impressive 2024 NFC Championship game run. Addressing that side of the ball must be at the top of general manager Adam Peters' to-do list this offseason. Washington has a glaring need and is armed with the sixth-most projected cap space in 2026. With that in mind, why not pony up for one of the NFL's premier pass rushers, Trey Hendrickson, if/when he becomes available?