The Washington Commanders’ 2025 season has been, in a word, brutal. Eight straight losses, a locker room searching for answers, and a fan base that’s heard just about every variation of “we’ll turn it around” you can imagine. But if there’s one thing keeping this team from completely unraveling, it’s the belief-internally, at least-that the foundation being built under head coach Dan Quinn still matters, even amid the wreckage.
That belief was on full display this week when defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw stepped up with a message that was equal parts defiance and determination. The veteran lineman, who arrived in D.C. this offseason on a hefty three-year, $45 million deal ($30 million guaranteed), hasn’t exactly lit up the stat sheet. But in a season where very little has gone right, Kinlaw is trying to keep the fire alive.
Kinlaw: “We’re not going to be down for long”
Speaking to reporters ahead of the final four games of the season, Kinlaw didn’t shy away from the adversity. In fact, he leaned into it.
“Yeah, it's been tough, but ain't nobody wavering around here,” Kinlaw said. “It's all about mindset, and I think our minds have been right this whole time, but sometimes you go through things for certain reasons.
It's cool. Everyone is going to kick you when you're down, but we're not going to be down for long.
I can promise you that.”
That kind of message might sound familiar to Commanders fans. After all, they’ve been hearing some version of it for the better part of the season.
But Kinlaw’s tone wasn’t defeatist-it was combative. He knows the record.
He knows the critics are circling. And he’s not backing down.
A rough season, but a revealing stretch ahead
Let’s not sugarcoat it: this team has been spiraling. That 3-2 start now feels like a distant memory-maybe even a mirage.
Injuries have piled up. The defense, which was supposed to be a strength, has struggled mightily.
And while Kinlaw’s performance hasn’t matched his contract just yet, it’s not like anyone else on that side of the ball has been lighting it up either.
Still, these final four games matter. Not for playoff positioning-that ship sailed weeks ago-but for pride, evaluation, and maybe even leadership. As Kinlaw put it, “it's important to see who got heart and who don't.”
This is where Dan Quinn and his staff will get a real look at who’s still fighting. Who’s still locked in.
Who’s worth bringing back in 2026 when the reset button gets pushed harder than ever. Because make no mistake-there are going to be changes.
Big ones. The Commanders didn’t bring in Adam Peters as GM to sit on his hands during a rebuild.
And this roster, as currently constructed, has glaring holes that have been exposed week after week.
Kinlaw’s leadership will be tested
For Kinlaw, this stretch is about more than just words. It’s about setting a tone.
He’s trying to be a tone-setter in a locker room that’s been battered by losses and outside noise. Whether that message resonates with teammates-or fans-is another story.
But he’s not mailing it in, and that matters.
This team has been down for a while. But Kinlaw’s trying to make sure they don’t stay there. He’s betting on the process, on the culture Quinn is trying to build, and on the idea that this storm won’t last forever.
Whether that’s enough to shift the narrative remains to be seen. But over the next four games, we’ll find out who’s still got something left in the tank-and who’s already looking ahead to the offseason.