ASHBURN, Va. — Losing the NFC Championship Game means control is now out of the Washington Commanders’ hands.
“This locker room will not be the same next year no matter what,” said left guard Nick Allegretti following Sunday’s 55-23 road loss to the Super Bowl-bound Philadelphia Eagles. “You can’t bring everybody back. You can move on and sign a new team, but it’s never the same.”
The good news is that the players, whether lock returnees for the 2025 season or TBD, collectively have the utmost faith in general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn.
Linebacker Frankie Luvu declared the 2024 campaign was the “most fun” of his seven-year career, and his trust in Peters and Quinn to keep the good times rolling is “over 110 percent.”
“They had a game plan. They had a foundation. Brick by brick, they laid (the path) down for us,” Luvu said Monday as players cleaned out their lockers. “They did an amazing job at it. I trust them with any move that they go forward with.”
That plan came with a clear vision that Peters, speaking during a joint season-ending news conference with Quinn, sees remaining entering another transaction-heavy offseason. The Commanders’ 12 regular-season wins and the NFC championship appearance were highs not seen in these parts since the 1991 season.
“Really proud of this team and what they did and this group of men,” Peters said. “Thankful for them and how much work they put in. … Disappointing ending, but very grateful for everybody.”
GO DEEPER
Commanders filled with disappointment while appreciating this season’s journey
Luvu signed a three-year free-agent contract last year and was among the roughly 30 new players on Washington’s opening-week roster. Competitiveness and camaraderie were the primary connectors among the revamped roster’s inhabitants. Exit interviews on Monday further solidified the belief that Peters and Quinn were on the right path.
“When we talked with many of the guys today, it resonated with both of us,” Peters said. “Bringing in the right people and bringing in guys we see as Commanders.”
Plenty of moves are forthcoming as Peters builds around an excellent quarterback on a rookie contract. Approximately 30 players, including linebacker Bobby Wagner, running back Austin Ekeler and four contributing wide receivers are headed into the upcoming free-agent period. As Allegretti foretold, they won’t all return. Beyond addressing particular needs, the type of individual desired to join this unique brotherhood will be paramount.
“I think if we’re gonna take away a lesson … the biggest one is getting the guys that are Commanders, that are competitors that love ball, love each other and will play for each other,” Peters said the day before he flew to Alabama for the Senior Bowl, the annual pre-draft kickoff. “We had a bunch of those guys on this team, and they liked playing for each other. They all said that today, which was cool to hear. That’s what we’ll look for.”
Not all players available during locker cleanout day were ready to look forward wholeheartedly less than 24 hours after the season-ending knockout. Free-agent defensive end Jalyn Holmes worked through his thoughts by rewatching the game — twice.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels said he woke up Monday feeling “sick” over the Commanders’ rare mistake-heavy performance. The California kid wasn’t prepared to reflect on his remarkable rookie year or implement an offseason training plan. He did, however, commit to watching the Super Bowl.
“I’m not a bitter individual,” the first-year Pro Bowler said. “Obviously it sucked that (we finished) one game away from it. But, kudos to (the Eagles) for playing in it because it’s very hard to get there.”
Whether willing to accept that the
Peters and Quinn were light on specifics in their final appearance with local media before the
“The floor has risen,” Quinn said, “but we’re nowhere near where our ceiling’s gonna be, and that fires me up.”
GO DEEPER
Commanders have more work to do, but the foundation for future success is in place
Regardless of whether they share insights with reporters, the agenda items are evident.
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin’s contract runs through 2025. Expect his agent to seek a new deal for the second-team All-Pro before next season begins. Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen’s expiring deal has the opposite scenario. The two-time Pro Bowler’s remaining year includes zero guaranteed money and a $22.5 million cap hit. Either the sides negotiate an extension, or Washington takes a long look at the $16.5 million cap savings that come with his release.
Then there are roster needs. Pick your target order from edge rusher, offensive tackle, wide receiver, tight end and more speed on offense. Losing Wagner and tight end Zach Ertz in free agency — a scenario that feels unlikely — would leave holes. Sam Cosmi undergoing surgery for a torn ACL on Tuesday creates at least a short-term consideration at right guard.
Trading for Marshon Lattimore midseason robustly addressed cornerback, though his shaky and limited performances upon arrival might keep the position on the list. Having traded a series of draft picks, including 2025 third- and fourth-rounders to the New Orleans Saints for the four-time Pro Bowler, Peters expressed patience with Lattimore despite two less-than outings in three playoff games.
The GM cited the “tough situation” Lattimore entered: battling a hamstring injury while integrating with a new environment. Peters sees an entire offseason program with Washington as valuable for Lattimore, as he’ll get the chance to “learn the defense from the ground up.”
The coaching staff and front office could need new nameplates, a reality Quinn embraced without citing any specific changes. New Orleans, the one team with a head coach opening, previously showed interest in offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. While the Saints do not seem like an attractive destination for a coordinator who coached Daniels and received a paycheck from the Arizona Cardinals for his previous head coach gig, others may become targets for teams building out or changing their staff.
“You better be prepared, right?” Quinn said. “If you do well, then those are some of the things that take place from that. We do have a deep crew. We’ll be ready to adjust.”
The players understand they might not have a choice other than embracing change. Ertz was among the players willing to engage in future talk. The 34-year-old capped a revitalized season with 11 receptions for 104 yards against the Eagles on Sunday.
“I don’t know what the future holds. I still want to play football next year,” Ertz said. “I want to make that clear that I’m not retiring.”
Punter Tress Way, the team’s longest-tenured player, also wants to stay with the franchise he first joined in 2014. “What worked was the identity of humble competitors. That is from the owner down,” Way said.
Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota isn’t long removed from starting. He shined in two relief appearances this season. To start again means going elsewhere. “You don’t want to close any doors,” he said. That includes staying with the Commanders for reasons that would have Peters and Quinn beaming.
“I’ve been part of so many different cultures,” Mariota said. “When you find a good one, you don’t want to let that go.”
(Photo of Dan Quinn: Junfu Han / USA Today via Imagn Images)
