At 4-10 and with their final three games coming against division rivals, the Commanders have only one thing left to play for: bragging rights. If they can somehow beat the Philadelphia Eagles twice and the Dallas Cowboys on Christmas Day, this season will leave a much less bitter taste in fans' mouths. McLaurin is well aware, and he's fired up to lead his troops into battle. Technically, the Commanders have the chance to determine who wins the NFC East. It will almost certainly be the Eagles, who only need to win once more or have the Cowboys lose.
It's a tricky balance for head coach Dan Quinn. He wants the Commanders to be competitive in a last-ditch attempt to salvage some respectability from the campaign. He'll also know that Washington needs to see the entire roster before embarking on a pivotal offseason. Loyalty is high on his priority list, but this cannot get in the way of progress.
Washington Commanders fans were hoping to see something from defensive end Drake Jackson after the team opened his 21-day return window recently. But time is rapidly running out for the pass-rusher to convince the coaching staff he is healthy enough to participate. The Commanders believed Jackson could still have something to offer. General manager Adam Peters knows the player well from their time together with the San Francisco 49ers.
In case you missed it, the Indianapolis Colts signed a Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist five years after he retired to help deal with a rapidly imploding crisis. Rivers is in the building primarily to mentor rookie Riley Leonard, with whom he has a good relationship. The Colts are without their top two quarterbacks, and their playoff hopes are rapidly diminishing.
It was shocking to me when they didn't aggressively address pass rusher last offseason. But Washington could also identify rushers on rookie deals who might want a trade due to inactivity on a contract extension with their current team. The Jaguars' Travon Walker, Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux and Jets' Jermaine Johnson are among players on expiring rookie deals who could be 2027 free agents.
The Commanders have the NFL's oldest roster. They have the most pending free agents of any club. They have plenty of salary-cap space but only six draft picks - only two of which are in the first four rounds. Adam Peters has a lot of hard work ahead, and it might take time to put all the correct pieces in place.