Why Commanders aren't poised to contend with Jayden Daniels in 2026
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Why Commanders aren't poised to contend with Jayden Daniels in 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
One team that is perhaps flying under the pressure radar this offseason is the Washington Commanders.
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After a stellar 2024 season that saw Jayden Daniels guide his team to the NFC Championship game, Washington went all in with trades for Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil.
And a 5-12 season followed, thanks largely to injuries and poor play.
Now, Washington is faced with a big offseason once again, and yes, it has the cap space, but the draft capital isn't there for Adam Peters to wheel and deal.
NFL.com's Matt Okada has detailed how Washington's rise could be quick in 2026, but something in his reasoning has caught my eye.
"With $74.5 million in cap space (fifth in the league) and the seventh overall pick, Washington has plenty of options — they just need to pinpoint and assemble the right group of players," Okada wrote. "If they can return to even a league-average defense, like they were in 2024, and get Jayden Daniels healthy, the Commanders should be a playoff contender again in no time."
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Too many "ifs" for Commanders
Yes, there is hope for Washington, but reading between the lines here, Okada says "if" the defense can be league average, and "if" Daniels can stay healthy, that's a lot of hope right there.
We know injuries take their toll on most teams, and Washington got their fair share last season, but there's nothing stopping that from happening again.
Plus, how will Daniels play after an injury-riddled 2025 season? Will he no longer be the stud runner we saw in his rookie year?
There's a lot of ifs surrounding the Commanders right now, and if they can't have a good offseason and upgrade the defense and Daniels' protection, who knows what 2026 will have in store for Dan Quinn's team.
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