The Washington Commanders are heading into 2026 with a chip on their shoulder and a new era taking shape under head coach Dan Quinn. Last season was rough-no sugarcoating that-but there’s still a sense around the fanbase that this is more of a reset than a full-blown collapse.
The hope? That 2025 was a one-off dip, not a return to the franchise’s darker chapters.
The expectations aren’t sky-high just yet. Fans aren’t demanding a miracle turnaround, but they are looking for tangible progress.
A team that competes, that shows fight, and most importantly, that starts building something sustainable. If Quinn can’t get this group trending upward, his seat could start warming up fast.
But not everyone is tempering their expectations.
Former NFL executive and current ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum recently made waves with a bold prediction that turned heads across the league. Not only does he see Washington improving-he’s calling for a full-on Super Bowl run.
Yes, you read that right. Tannenbaum has the Commanders winning it all next season, taking down the Buffalo Bills in a shootout for the ages.
“Commanders over Bills,” Tannenbaum said, envisioning a 45-42 thriller in Los Angeles. “Quarterback Jayden Daniels stays healthy next season and bounces back in a big way. He plays in every game and finishes the season by outdueling Allen and the Bills.”
That’s not just optimism-that’s a moonshot. And it hinges on a massive leap from Daniels, who Tannenbaum also picked to win NFL MVP.
The belief in Daniels’ upside is clear. If he can stay healthy and take command of this offense, the ceiling is sky-high.
But there’s a lot that has to go right to even get close to that dream scenario.
Let’s not forget: the Commanders won just five games last year. The roster is still a work in progress, with holes on both sides of the ball.
And while the team brought in fresh blood at offensive and defensive coordinator, neither has called plays at the NFL level before. That’s a lot of unknowns for a team trying to climb out of the basement.
The oddsmakers aren’t buying the hype just yet. According to FanDuel, Washington sits at +2500 to win the NFC-10th among conference contenders-and +4500 to win the Super Bowl, placing them 19th overall. That’s a long shot by any definition, especially in a division that’s expected to be brutally competitive.
Still, there’s a path-however narrow-for this team to make noise. If Daniels takes the leap, if the new coaching staff gels quickly, and if the Commanders can avoid the injury bug that’s plagued them in recent years, a turnaround isn’t out of the question. Maybe not all the way to a Lombardi Trophy, but enough to prove that this franchise is building in the right direction.
And after the way things unraveled last season, that kind of progress would feel like a win in its own right.