ClutchPoints
The Washington Commanders entered the 2025 season with high expectations after a surprising 12-5 playoff run the year before. Halfway through this campaign, though, those hopes have evaporated. A mix of injuries, inconsistency, and front-office indecision has left the Commanders in disarray. They currently sit near the bottom of the NFC standings. This year has just been defined by frustration and regression.
Instead of building on their success, Washington’s 2025 season has exposed fundamental flaws. In addition, the front office’s inaction at the NFL trade deadline has only amplified them. If general manager Adam Peters wants to restore momentum, he’ll need to be smart and aggressive moving forward. The top priority? Signing a reliable veteran running back who can protect Daniels, stabilize the offense, and bring balance to an attack that has crumbled under pressure.
The Commanders have endured a disastrous 2025 season. They have fallen to 3-6, which is a stunning contrast to their playoff campaign in 2024. The team’s struggles have been exacerbated by a string of injuries to quarterback Jayden Daniels, last year’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Daniels has missed multiple games with knee, hamstring, and, most recently, a dislocated elbow injury suffered in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Defensively, the Commanders have failed to live up to expectations. The front seven has been inconsistent, and the secondary continues to allow big plays in key moments. Even when Daniels plays, Washington’s lack of balance has made life difficult for him. The running game ranks among the league’s worst, too. It offers little support or play-action credibility. The absence of a true workhorse back has left the offense one-dimensional and Daniels overexposed.
Despite clear deficiencies, the Commanders made no moves at the 2025 NFL trade deadline. Peters chose to stand pat rather than trade veterans for draft capital or add reinforcements. For a team showing no signs of turning things around, inaction felt like complacency. Peters’ conservative approach will backfire badly. Washington now looks stuck between two timelines: a team that isn’t good enough to contend, but too proud to rebuild.
With multiple key free agents and glaring positional holes, the Commanders will need to spend make some moves to improve the roster around Daniels. The first step toward righting the ship? Finding a veteran running back who can bring reliability and toughness to an offense desperate for both.
Here we’ll try to look at and discuss the next signing that the Washington Commanders must make after 2025 NFL trade deadline.
After an unproductive trade deadline, Washington’s most glaring offseason need remains crystal clear. They need a veteran running back who can take pressure off Daniels and restore offensive balance. The Commanders’ current backfield has failed to produce consistent results. This has left Daniels to carry too much of the load as both a passer and rusher. With his injury history growing, that’s a recipe for disaster.
Yes, the current crop of available free agents...
