The Washington Commanders have been active on the phone as the 2026 NFL trade deadline draws near, and general manager Adam Peters made it clear this is the kind of stretch where teams have to be ready to move.
Speaking on his weekly spot with the “Sports Junkies” on 106.7 The Fan, Peters said Washington has already been in contact with plenty of teams.
“You’re right, there are a lot of phone calls,” Peters said. “Our staff is making a ton of phone calls.
We’ve talked to all of the other 31 teams, and I've talked to a ton of GMs. There’s only a handful of times during the year where you can really make transactions for your team.”
The deadline for this season is Tuesday, November 10, at 4 p.m. ET, landing a week after Election Day. Peters said that limited window is exactly why teams have to stay engaged when opportunities pop up.
“Obviously you can trade for guys in Week 1, but there’s not a lot of teams who are willing to trade their guys in Week 1. So, you have a few times during the year where you can really make some additions or transactions. This is one of those, so you want to take advantage of that if something comes up that can help your team.”
One of the biggest moves around the league this week sent defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Titans to the Chicago Bears in a deal that brought Tennessee two first-round picks. Peters praised Simmons’ play and contract, and said the Bears’ move showed a team that believes it can contend. In his words, “they are all in."
That kind of move puts Chicago in the buyer category, willing to part with future draft capital for help right now. Peters didn’t shy away from the idea that Washington is scanning every option, especially with Terry McLaurin out for the year and the Commanders missing their top receiver.
Asked whether receiver was a position he’d target, Peters kept the answer broad.
“You guys are going to say this is coach speak and all of that, but we’re looking at everything. And any position on your team where we can make ourselves better, for the present and the future, we’re always going to look into that.”
He also pointed to the Titans and Colts as examples of teams on the selling side of the market. Tennessee dealt Simmons for draft picks, while Indianapolis sent guard Quenton Nelson to the Seahawks for a third-round and fifth-round choice.
Peters didn’t label Washington as a seller, and he kept his comments centered on the possibility of adding talent rather than subtracting it. He summed up that approach this way: “Any position you can think of, if there’s an opportunity for us to get better. If it’s an opportunity to get a good player, at a price you think is fair, then you can pull the trigger on that.”
The Commanders still have two games before the deadline arrives, and what happens in those matchups could shape how aggressive Peters gets. If Washington wins both, the case for buying gets stronger. If the Commanders slip and fall to 1-6-1, then the conversation could shift toward moving veterans for future draft picks.
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