Commanders shift focus to 'critical' young trio for final month

ASHBURN, Va. – While the Washington Commanders want to do as much winning as they can in the final four games of the season, there’s also an element of getting critical evaluations done on specific players who may have big roles for the team moving forward.

With veteran tight end Zach Ertz injured and lost for the year, the Commanders will now turn to a trio of younger players in the group who have proven themselves to varying degrees but still have plenty to demonstrate in the last month of the season.

Shifting Goals

Because of that, and the ongoing development of others like rookie offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., Washington head coach Dan Quinn isn’t looking at the final stretch as ‘garbage time’ but as an opportunity that has shifted from the initial goal of winning a championship toward finding the building blocks for a future champion.

"I think I don't want to do like an end-of-year assessment, you know, like as we're going this week, but it's really important over the next weeks of what we can do, what we can get done. And so, all of last year's class, this year's class, when we get our chances to go make your mark, you've got to be able to go do that," Quinn says.

Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders tight end Colson Yankoff (41) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Tight End Opportunity

Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury shares a similar mindset, believing that while the season is lost from a title perspective, there’s still plenty to accomplish, especially for tight ends John Bates, Ben Sinnott, and Colson Yankoff, who were never going to get as much opportunity with Ertz on the field, because of everything the veteran can offer.

“I think it's really critical for them to continue to develop and progress, and they have in the roles that we've asked 'em to be in, it's just with a guy like Zach, you don't take him off the field in a lot of critical situations, so they're going to get their opportunity in some of those situations,” Kingsbury said. "But we want to see them when they do get the opportunity, make the play and do the right thing and show poise in doing it."

Trial by Fire for Conerly

While the tight ends will be the focal point for a lot of people, rookies like Conerly are just as important. Facing an onslaught of NFC East Division rivals for the first time in his career (his first two divisional games this season were spread out by weeks), he has quite the challenge ahead of him and an opportunity to show that he belongs in a division known for tough play and tougher players.

“It adds value,” Quinn said of the divisional schedule at the end of the year. “And a player learns, ‘Okay, I'm starting to get what division means, why they say you know each other well. Okay, I literally just saw myself playing these guys, and now I get to see it again.’ So, it's the first step of understanding division football."

It won’t add a shine to the grimy 2025 season the Commanders have gone through, but it could be the first hints of a sparkle heading into 2026, making all opportunities important, but especially the unique ones that need to be capitalized on in order for some less-heralded players to begin their ascent into being key contributors to Washington football.

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