The Washington Commanders came into this season with a glaring question mark hovering over their pass rush-and 15 games in, that question has turned into a full-blown red flag. The edge group simply hasn’t delivered, and for a team trying to rebuild its identity under a new regime, that’s a problem that can’t wait until midseason next year to fix.
Let’s be clear: relying on a late-career Von Miller to lead your team in sacks isn’t a plan-it’s a warning sign. Miller’s a future Hall of Famer, no doubt, but asking him to anchor a pass rush at this stage of his career is like asking a classic car to win a drag race. He can still turn heads, but he shouldn’t be your engine.
That brings us to the offseason, where GM Adam Peters will need to take a long, hard look at this roster and ask one simple question: who’s getting to the quarterback? Because right now, the answer isn’t on the roster.
The Commanders need not only a consistent edge presence opposite Dorance Armstrong Jr., but they also need depth-urgently. The current group just hasn’t been able to generate the kind of pressure that disrupts modern NFL offenses.
And there might be an intriguing situation developing up north that’s worth monitoring.
Rashan Gary and the Packers: A Situation to Watch
In Green Bay, there’s growing chatter around Rashan Gary’s future with the Packers. According to a well-connected source, the team could explore moving on from the former first-round pick this offseason-especially if Lukas Van Ness steps up down the stretch and into the postseason.
Gary’s contract is sizable-$24 million per year-and that’s a hefty number for a player who’s never been a high snap-count guy. Head coach Matt LaFleur even acknowledged earlier this season that Gary has never been the type to play 80% of defensive snaps. That’s fine if you’re producing splash plays in limited reps, but the production hasn’t consistently matched the paycheck.
He’s also never hit double-digit sacks in a season, but there’s context here. From Day 1, Gary has drawn double-teams like a magnet.
Offensive coordinators have treated him like a primary threat, and that’s limited his raw numbers. But make no mistake-Gary has the tools to be disruptive, and in the right system with the right complementary pieces, he could be a difference-maker.
If the Packers decide to move on-perhaps to free up cap space, which a pre-June 1 release would do to the tune of around $11 million-teams around the league will be on high alert. And the Commanders should be right near the front of that line.
One Big Roadblock
There’s a wrinkle, though. Green Bay recently lost All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons to a torn ACL, a brutal injury that could sideline him well into the 2026 season.
That kind of blow changes the calculus. If the Packers feel they need to keep Gary around as a stabilizing force in the absence of Parsons, that could take him off the market entirely.
Still, this is exactly the kind of situation Peters and his front office need to be tracking. Whether it’s Gary, a top draft pick, or a savvy free-agent signing, Washington simply can’t go into next season with the same pass-rushing group and expect different results.
The Bottom Line
The Commanders’ defense has shown flashes, but without a consistent edge threat, it’s hard to sustain success in today’s NFL. Quarterbacks are too good, and offensive coordinators are too creative.
You need players who can win one-on-one matchups, collapse the pocket, and force mistakes. Right now, Washington doesn’t have that guy.
Peters has built a reputation as a sharp evaluator of talent, and while this season’s edge group hasn’t panned out, he’s earned the benefit of the doubt. But this offseason?
It’s time to act. Whether it’s Rashan Gary or someone else, the Commanders need to find their next game-wrecker off the edge.
Because if they don’t, they’ll be right back in this same spot a year from now-wondering why opposing quarterbacks are so comfortable.