Dec 1, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Commanders projected to take step back next season

Originally posted on Washington Commanders on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Feb 16, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Washington Commanders were one of the best teams in the NFL this past season, but that doesn't mean things are guaranteed to stay that way.

ESPN analyst Aaron Schatz listed the Commanders as the team most likely to take a step back for the 2025 season.

Step back for Commanders?

"When a team pulls off a magical run to the conference championship despite not being one of the two or three best teams in the conference, you usually see a step back the following season. And when quarterbacks are as good as Jayden Daniels was as a rookie, they usually don't take the step forward that fans expect because they're already very good and there's not much room to improve," Schatz writes.

The Commanders set a high bar in Daniels' first year that will make it far to reach again in 2025. However, they have the culture set in place and the quarterback geared up for the future, and that's always the hard part.

Now, it's about ensuring all of this work gets done with the cap space the team has.