The Washington Commanders have a lot going for them right now.
They are fresh off one of the best rebound seasons in NFL history thanks to a seven-win jump from 2023 to 2024, a cornerstone quarterback who had a stellar rookie season, and a berth in the NFC championship game for the first time in over 20 years.
Not to mention, Washington continued riding high last week with a ringing endorsement from President Trump in the announcement that the 2027 NFL Draft will be hosted in the nation's capital.
Although they lost in the conference title game to their division rival Philadelphia Eagles, who went on to win the Super Bowl, the Commanders organization should feel loads of excitement for where their team sits compared to others across the league.
Unfortunately, the NFL has not matched that respect.
Monday morning, the Week 1 kickoff game was announced with the first game of the regular season featuring the Eagles hosting their other NFC East foe, the Dallas Cowboys.
The NFL putting a banner-raising night in Philadelphia as the opening game of the season isn't the surprise here. Picking Dallas, a team who is clearly not built to compete as much as Washington, is.
The selection is an obvious sign that the league has chosen viewership numbers and engagement over competitiveness.
Dallas collapsed last season for a 7-10 record and faired poorly against Philly, losing both contests last season by a combined score of 75-13. However, the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones will continue to stay in the spotlight as one of the most profitable brands in sports, regardless of their on-field results.
Washington may have had a bad stretch up until 2024, but last season must not have been enough to earn dibs on the first primetime slot.
A potential Commanders-Eagles conference championship rematch to open the 2025 season would have just as strong a chance for a memorable showing, if not more, and the actual matchup.
This should be taken as a massive sign of disrespect to what the Commanders have built.
Although it was Year 1 of a dramatic turnaround under head coach Dan Quinn, Washington's track record can already stack up - even surpass - with the best of what the Cowboys have done over the last two decades.
Washington needs to turn this feeling into motivation for the 2025 season. If the Commanders can prove to the rest of the league that last season wasn't a fluke run, they can edge their names amongst the league's top names.
With another strong campaign, their primetime moment could come with much higher stakes later in the fall ... and be even sweeter if the Cowboys are watching at home (again).
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