Adam Peters likes what he sees. Dan Quinn does too. Now comes the part that matters.
On Monday, Peters said, “I have a ton of confidence in this team. I have a ton of confidence in this coaching staff.” Quinn, looking back on the preseason, called it “a really productive and tough camp” and said, “It was good to see the systems come to life offensively and defensively.”
Fine words. Strong words, even.
But after the way Washington’s summer ended, confidence is no longer the point. Proof is.
That’s the pressure hanging over Year 3 of the Peters-Quinn setup. This is no longer a reset, and it’s not a transition year either.
Peters has had the time and the resources to build the roster. Quinn has had the players he wanted to coach.
Now the operation has to show it was built for more than optimism.
The Commanders entered this stretch with a very different kind of buzz than they had in 2024. At this point last year, there was relief and anticipation around Peters’ arrival as the first general manager hired by Josh Harris, plus the excitement of Quinn and quarterback Jayden Daniels being introduced together. Then came 2025 and a 5-12 finish that brought everything back down to earth.
This offseason was supposed to feel like a step forward, not another reset. Instead, the last few weeks have raised plenty of alarms.
The preseason finished with that ugly 41-3 loss at Baltimore, a game that was made worse by the fact that 41 players important to the regular season did not play. Even with all those absences, the group that did suit up was badly outclassed.
And that came on the heels of a rough joint practice with the Ravens, flat showings against Detroit and Baltimore, and injuries that hit some of the most important spots on the roster. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil may already be lost for the year.
Center Nick Allegretti has been unable to practice because of a calf issue. Cornerback Trey Amos will start the season on injured reserve.
Daniels put it plainly: “We play a contact sport, a physical violence sport,” he said. “So things are gonna happen.”
Sure. But when they do, the roster has to hold together.
That’s the real test now, and it’s why the preseason finish felt so jarring. Baltimore, year after year, keeps looking like the sturdier operation.
Washington does not.
The upcoming schedule does the Commanders no favors. Their first eight games include trips to Philadelphia, Dallas, London to face the Colts and San Francisco, plus home dates with Seattle, the Giants, the Eagles and the Rams. That’s a brutal opening run, and it starts immediately with games that will tell everyone a lot about this team.
Still, this is not a roster without answers. Daniels remains the great stabilizer.
A healthy Daniels raises the floor for everything around him. And he may have the best set of pass catchers he’s worked with as a pro, with Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs and tight end Chig Okonkwo giving him real weapons.
Quinn praised what Daniels has brought to the offense, saying, “He makes it incredibly difficult to go against,” Quinn said. “… New system, but his call, his command, his ability to get in and out of things, it’s impressive.”
There is also still time for Washington to address the offensive line before the opener if it chooses to do so. That was part of the message Monday: stay calm, don’t turn the first week of September into a crisis.
“Obviously, fans are passionate,” Peters said. “And you love to have passionate fans.
That’s great. But there’s a lot of stuff that we’re doing here that maybe they don’t see and there’s a lot of things that I’m really excited to see in a couple weeks.”
Peters also insisted, “We have the right types of guys throughout the whole building,” Peters said. “We have really good competitors.
We have really good people in the building. I’m really proud of that.”
Maybe that’s too rosy. Maybe it isn’t. Either way, the only thing that will matter now is whether it holds up once the games count.
In Other News...
Jayden Daniels Footage Has Commanders Fans Wondering How Good He Really Looks
Jayden Daniels is headed into the 2026 season with a very different outlook than the one that surrounded him a year ago. After an injury-plagued 2025, the Commanders say their quarterback is fully healthy, and Dan Quinn has been clear that Daniels has moved faster than expected in training camp. Even so, the team has handled his preseason workload carefully, a reminder that Washington is still balancing optimism about its franchise passer with the realities of keeping him on the field.
A recent bit of leaked practice footage has only turned up the volume around Daniels, with fans zeroing in on his snaps with center Nick Allegretti and reading plenty into his body language. For a quarterback whose availability mattered so much last season, every rep has become a talking point, and the public scrutiny has started to feel bigger than a normal camp storyline. The Commanders are trying to keep the focus on progress, but the reaction around Daniels suggests just how closely this season will be watched from the start. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Week 1 Projection Raises One Big Question Before Eagles
The build toward Washingtons 2026 season opener against Philadelphia is already inviting the usual roster-watch chatter, and one projected starting lineup offers a decent snapshot of where the Commanders may be headed. Jayden Daniels is the obvious focal point under center, while the rest of the group is still being sorted out in the absence of an official word on the offensive formation or defensive alignment.
Dorance Armstrongs opening-game suspension is the one wrinkle that hangs over the defense and adds another layer to a matchup that will demand answers early. Until the Commanders formally settle on how they want to line up, there is room for plenty of projection, but the opener against the Eagles already feels like a revealing first test of how the roster fits together. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Face A Week 1 Concern Fans Can't Ignore
The Commanders are back to regular-season work, and the first week of practice has already offered a familiar mix of relief and unease. A few key players have returned from injury, including Nick Allegretti and Bill Croskey-Merritt in limited fashion, but the list of sidelined or restricted names is still long enough to keep attention fixed on the health of the roster as the opener approaches.
Assistant general manager Lance Newmark also had to address the addition of two tight ends to the practice squad, making clear it was not simply a reaction to roster size. Even with some reinforcements back on the field, Washington is still monitoring important players such as Laremy Tunsil, JerZhan Newton, Odafe Oweh and KLavon Chaisson, and the way that group progresses over the next stretch could shape how comfortable the team feels heading into Week 1. [Read more 🡒]