The Washington Commanders have spent the offseason trying to erase the memory of 2025, and by all accounts they’ve attacked that mission with real purpose. The fan base is feeling it, the building is feeling it, and there’s a clear sense that this team believes it can turn the page fast.
Not everybody is buying the rebound, though.
There are still plenty of questions hanging over Washington as 2026 approaches. New coordinators are in place, a long list of new signings is expected to reshape the roster, and several players from last year’s collapse are carrying real pressure into the new season. The Commanders have talent, but the whole thing still hinges on whether the offseason bets actually pay off and whether a little luck breaks their way.
Nick Shook of NFL.com is one of the skeptics. He has Washington finishing 4-13, pointing to the number of variables that could swing either direction. In his view, there are simply too many unknowns around the Commanders to trust them right now.
That kind of finish would be brutal. A four-win season would almost certainly put head coach Dan Quinn in serious jeopardy and send general manager Adam Peters into the hot seat as well. It would leave the franchise staring at another reset, and that’s exactly the kind of outcome Washington is trying to avoid.
Still, a 4-13 prediction feels like the low end of the spectrum. For that kind of collapse to happen, a lot would have to go wrong. There’s enough talent on the roster and enough coaching quality in the building to think Washington should be better than that.
The early schedule will matter. If Quinn can get the team through a tough opening stretch before the bye week, the Commanders could have a real chance to make noise in the second half of 2026.
For now, optimism is the prevailing mood. Fans are leaning into the glass-half-full version of this team, and that energy is only going to rise as training camp and the preseason get closer. Washington could have folded after last season’s disappointment, but instead it has gone to work and approached the offseason with clear intent.
None of that matters if the Commanders don’t become sharper, more disciplined, and more competitive once the games count. But if they do, they have the ingredients to surprise people.
And if that happens, predictions like Shook’s will look pretty foolish in a hurry.
In Other News...
Commanders Backfield Crunch Could Force Adam Peters Into An Early Move
The Commanders entered the summer with a backfield that suddenly looks crowded, and Jerome Ford is part of the reason why. After the offseason additions, Washington has more running backs than obvious roster spots, which has turned training camp into an early sorting exercise for Adam Peters and the front office. Ford was brought in as part of that mix, but he is now sitting low enough on the depth chart that his name has already started surfacing in trade chatter.
That kind of surplus usually forces a team to make a choice before final cuts, whether it means moving a player, keeping him as insurance, or risking a release. Washington also has other backs competing for the same limited room, so the next few weeks could reveal whether the Commanders see Ford as a useful depth piece or as an asset they can turn into something else before the roster gets trimmed. [Read more 🡒]
What New Coordinator Sees In Jayden Daniels Should Matter To Commanders Fans
Jayden Daniels enters the 2026 season with a different kind of pressure on his shoulders, and David Blough thinks that matters. Washingtons offensive coordinator said Daniels was frustrated with how 2025 unfolded after the high standard he set the year before, but also made it clear the quarterback has not been dwelling on it. Instead, Daniels has leaned into the new offensive system and the fresh concepts that come with it, a sign the Commanders are hoping his next step comes as much from mindset as talent.
Bloughs read on Daniels is the part Washington fans will want to keep an eye on, because the transition is not just about terminology or play design. The offense is expected to look different this year, and Daniels appears to be adapting well to what the staff is asking of him. If that progress holds, the Commanders could be looking at a quarterback who is not only motivated to answer for last season, but also positioned to do it in a scheme that fits him better. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Fans Already Feared How This Tyler Biadasz Move Could Age
Tyler Biadaszs exit from Washington was always going to be one of those moves judged in real time, and the early returns from Los Angeles are the sort that make a decision age quickly. After being released by the Commanders, Biadasz landed with the Chargers and has reportedly settled in well, drawing positive reviews from the coaching staff during early offseason workouts as he gets acclimated to a new system.
For Washington, the center spot now shifts to Nick Allegretti and rookie Matt Gulbin, a combination that puts the focus squarely on how the line holds up without the veteran presence Biadasz provided. If he keeps trending up with the Chargers, the conversation around the Commanders choice to move on from him is only going to get louder, especially with the position still in the middle of its own reset. [Read more 🡒]