Commanders' quiet deadline highlights a major problem for next year

While the population of Washington Commanders fans who still consider the 2025 team a playoff contender is dwindling, there were some who wanted to see the team make a big move at the trade deadline to try to turn around the course of the year.

On the other hand, and in a much bigger crowd, there were plenty of Commanders fans wanting to see general manager Adam Peters trade away as many players as possible in the name of stacking draft picks for 2026.

In the end, the team did nothing as far as trades, and after the dust settled, Bleacher Report came up with its answer for what Washington needs the next time it gets a chance to make a splash: Wide receivers.

The National Consensus

“Deebo Samuel is on a one-year deal in D.C., while Noah Brown is also in a walk year for a team that has suffered major problems at receiver this season. Samuel just isn't the player he once was, and Terry McLaurin has run into injury issues in his age-30 season. It's time for the Commanders to make an early-draft splash in support of Jayden Daniels,” B/R says.

Sep 28, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (1) runs during the first quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Case for Keeping Samuel

Currently, the Commanders have just three receivers under contract for next season, with those being Terry McLaurin, Luke McCaffrey, and Jaylin Lane, though they’re scheduled to pay for a fourth because Samuel’s reworked contract includes $12.34 million in dead cap if he isn’t re-signed by the team.

Honestly, we’d love to see Samuel come back in 2026 on a new deal that encapsulates and even shrinks that dead cap figure, so we get a chance to maybe see what he and McLaurin look like with a full training camp together and quarterback Jayden Daniels on the field.

So far this season, the trio has only been on the field together for two games, the first two of the year.

As far as money is concerned, the combined expense for the three under contract to play for Washington is less than $22 million against the cap, making it easier and more feasible that Samuel is back, if the two sides want to cut a deal.

Surveying the 2026 Market

Currently, the top three receivers poised to hit the market in 2026 as unrestricted free agents are Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Christian Kirk of the Houston Texans, and, besides Samuel, Allen Lazard of the New York Jets.

Jakobi Meyers was just traded from the Las Vegas Raiders to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and unless the two sides work out an extension, he may become available. If Meyers and the Jaguars do strike a deal, it’s possible that young receiver Brian Thomas Jr. may become available for trade after being rumored to be available this trade deadline, though head coach Liam Coen squashed the report rather quickly. Shortly after that, the team put Travis Hunter on injured reserve, giving Coen and the team reason to cover their tracks as they needed Thomas to help hold the fort while Hunter heals.

Either way, there will be options, and whether a receiver is the top priority or just one of them, it's clear after this season that coming into next year without any new faces added to the ones under contract already would be a major misstep.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 season.

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