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The run is over for the Commanders, and while it was magical while it happened, Washington eventually ran into the buzzsaw that was the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.
The high point of the postseason for Jayden Daniels and the Commanders was undoubtedly going into Ford Field and knocking off the Detroit Lions in a massive upset win, 45-31. The low point, though, was certainly the NFC title game. Though they did put up a good fight for some time — it was 14-12 midway through the second quarter — the Commanders ended up losing 55-23.
That’s a fifty-plus burger put up by the Eagles, who road Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts on the ground to victory. Barkley put up 118 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries, while Hurts took it in three times himself.
It was a dominant performance from the Eagles, who will now be seeking revenge against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59, but it was a game that certainly left Commanders fans feeling hollow after everything their team was able to accomplish in 2024-25.
That doesn’t mean this team doesn’t have a bright future, though. Daniels was clear even after the loss that he felt the Commanders deserved to be in the bright lights of the NFC Championship Game,
“You have to go out there and earn it. You have to prove it. And even though tonight, we didn’t earn it, we believe that we belong here,” Daniels said, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “Kudos to Philly, and what they did. Heck of a team, and good luck to them.”
Daniels is obviously the centerpiece of what the Commanders will want to do moving forward after his tremendous rookie season, but there are several veteran free agents on their own roster that they’ll want to keep around as well. Building a team through explosive youth and consistent veteran presence is a tried and true method, and the Commanders can make another run at the Super Bowl in 2025 if they bring back these three veteran glue pieces.
Bobby Wagner has been playing NLF football for a long time, but he still has the goods and more than anything, he’s a veteran defensive leader the Commanders should want to keep around.
Wagner led the team in tackles this season with 132. He also notched two sacks, ten tackles for loss, four passes defended, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble. That’s not bad for a 34-year-old linebacker who the Commanders gave a one-year deal to this past offseason.
Wagner would absolutely be worth another year if he wants to stick around this young and ascending team.
Even at 34 years old, Zach Ertz was the second-leading receiver for the Commanders this season, with 66 catches for 654 yards and seven touchdowns.
Six of those seven...
