Jeremy Fowler Sees Path for Quick Turnaround in Washington

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Washington Commanders are “Somewhere between contention and reset,” and that is a bad place for a team to be after making it to the NFC Championship Game in 2024.

A steep fall from grace

Given that first-year success with general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn driving the ship, the Commanders went all in—sort of—by trading for left tackle Laremy Tunsil and receiver Deebo Samuel, and added outside linebacker Von Miller during training camp, to get over the hump and into the Super Bowl.

Instead, stale schemes and injuries sent Washington back down to the bottom of the NFL. That’s the bad news. The good news is it has plenty of shovels to dig its way out of that hole and back near the top. With top 10 salary cap space for 2026 and room to gain if he needs it, Peters has the opportunity to place some solid free agent additions with his six picks (four of which are on Day 3) to give new coordinators Daronte Jones and David Blough everything they need to draw up success.

Aug 18, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) request the ball after Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (not pictured) scores a touchdown against Cincinnati Bengals during the first half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The path to a quick turnaround

And according to Fowler, there is hope for a quick turnaround with the Commanders.

“Washington is a year removed from competing in the NFC title game. When healthy, Jayden Daniels is a top-10 quarterback who will move the offense into a more respectable range in 2026. GM Adam Peters has cap space to replenish the roster. Injuries plagued Washington more than most teams last season.”

The reality of the roster

However, playing the realist card and addressing both sides of the conversation, Fowler also acknowledged that it can take longer to get things back on track. “Washington was the hardest team of the bunch to evaluate, so it gets its own category. The Commanders were close in 2024. The roster is problematic in spots, though. Defensive impact players are older. Pass rush is a major need. And some recent high draft picks have been slow to develop. Peters has just two draft picks in the first four rounds this year because of previous trades. Adding a skill player at tight end or running back would be useful,” he says.

Being the lone team in the “Somewhere between contention and reset” tier is a little jarring, but it’s better than being in lower tiers with others like the Cleveland Browns or Arizona Cardinals.

While there are others with “sneaky good trajectories” or “a few moves away,” Washington is different.

Every season, we tend to say, ‘This is the biggest offseason in franchise history in a long time,’ but this time, it might be true.

Because of that, every move Peters makes will be magnified and could be the catalyst for the Commanders returning to relevance, or for us to be talking about another top 10 pick in 2027 and all the ramifications that could come with that conversation.

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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