Five years ago, Taylor Heinicke walked onto the field in Washington to take the reins of the then “Football Team” from an injured Ryan Fitzpatrick on the first drive of the regular season. It would be difficult to argue that any franchise in the NFL has lacked identity more than that team in that moment. Taylor Heinicke gave his all and led them to seven wins that season, but with ownership in flux and a flood of embarrassing headlines, the fans’ loyalty was tested weekly, with dwindling light at the end of the partially collapsed tunnel.
In every year since, the Washington Commanders have made measurable steps toward redeeming the grueling fan experience that was the twenty-first century. When Jayden Daniels stepped onto the field in week one of the 2024 season, the franchise’s near-decade-long refurbishment project reached new heights.
With one of the most impressive rookie quarterback campaigns of the twenty-first century, Daniels drove the team deep into the playoffs, falling to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles in the conference championship game.
The Commanders team that enters the final week of training camp in Ashburn, VA on Monday shares almost zero DNA with the 2021 team. With a proposed return to D.C. potentially coming by the end of the decade, this organization is rapidly returning to true premier franchise form, reminiscent of the Gibbs teams of the 1980s and 90s.
As Commanders fans found out last year, nothing is promised in the National Football League. One season of promise does not translate to automatic playoff appearances for years to come, especially when your quarterback is sidelined with injuries for most of the season. The 2026 regular season opens against the NFC East rival Eagles and Cowboys in back-to-back weeks, followed by a matchup with the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in week three.
The Commanders have a combined 5-13 record against the Eagles and Cowboys since 2022, and last year’s matchup with the Seahawks was a blowout loss with Jayden Daniels suffering an injury deep in the fourth quarter.
The season will also kick off without the league’s highest-paid offensive lineman in Laremy Tunsil, who tore his right triceps during Saturday’s training camp.
The preseason will allow fans to get a read on a promising rookie class headlined by Ohio State Linebacker Sonny Styles. The Commanders’ 2025 leader in tackles and fourteen-year NFL veteran Bobby Wagner remains unsigned as an unrestricted free agent. It is difficult to see the downside of bringing Wagner back on a one-year deal to mentor the young first-rounder.
Terry McLaurin returns for his eighth season with the team at a receiver position that has lacked true and consistent depth throughout his tenure with the team. The team signed Stefon Diggs last week, who will either be third or second on the depth chart. Luke McCaffrey, the contender for the number two spot, seems most comfortable in the slot. Between McCaffrey and Diggs, Daniels should have some genuine depth behind McLaurin.
There are still some uncomfortable holes on the roster where Head Coach Dan Quinn will be needing players to make big jumps in the 2026 campaign. Jacory Croskey-Merritt had a solid 2025 season but would disappear for games on end in a season that desperately needed a workhorse running back.
The team signed free agent Chig Okonkwo, whose stats have fallen between 400-600 yards and 1-3 touchdowns in each of his first four seasons in the NFL. The Commanders’ $27 million contract tells the league that they expect his production and role to jump substantially in Washington.
The Commanders will take on the Miami Dolphins at Northwest Stadium on Friday. Dan Quinn has not given a clear answer as to which starters will see playing time in week one of the preseason.
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