ClutchPoints
The Washington Commanders have been hit hard by the injury bug, and maybe Jayden Daniels isn’t built for the long haul. But the Commanders took serious offseason chances for the 2025 season, and their roster blunders threaten to crush their Super Bowl dreams.
Let’s tackle the obvious. The Commanders made it to the NFC Championship game last year, and they had no choice but to shoot for the Super Bowl this season.
But they had roster deficiencies in 2024, and somehow made things work despite those woes. They tried to address the issues for this year through the draft and free agency. But they didn’t address their biggest need. And now they’re in an even worse spot.
Quinn has to coach what general manager Adam Peters puts on the field. And Peters took big chances during the draft and free agency. Most notably, Peters brought in a group of veterans that helped make the Commanders the oldest team, not just this year, but in decades, according to the Washington Post.
Sometimes that can work. Certainly, it did for George Allen back in the 1970s. But that’s the problem. This isn’t old school. The NFL has become a young man’s game. Players get one good contract, and suddenly they’re old and on the way out the door.
Plus, it’s hard to get maximum effort from veterans. They’ve made their NFL dollars, and playing for pride — or a ring — can only go so far. When the bruises get deeper and the pain hits harder, how much will a player be willing to risk on the field?
Consider what running back Austin Ekeler faces: perhaps a career-ending injury. It’s because of his age, 30 years old. So with the average age of the Commanders being 28.1, the older guys have to look in the mirror and think what happened to Ekeler could happen to them.
That’s why young blood matters so much. NFL teams need to find the guys who still have that willingness to put themselves on the line because they want that payday.
Say what you want about a ring, it’s more about the bag of cash. The Commanders don’t have to look any further than Terry McLaurin. With the team on the verge of another run at the Super Bowl, McLaurin seemingly refused to participate unless he got paid. Dollars over rings.
Last year, the Commanders got a terrific season from Donte Fowler. He totaled 10.5 sacks and made up for some team deficiencies. Not only do they not have him, they also lost his presumed replacement, Deatrich Wise Jr., to a season-ending injury.
This wasn’t a good roster decision by Peters. Wise was never going to be able to match Fowler’s production. At age 31, he’s on the downside of his career. Now, the Commanders will put Javontae Jean-Baptiste into the starting lineup. He’s young, but a seventh-round pick...
