Former Washington Commanders offensive tackle Morgan Moses Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Former Commanders star who saw the worst finally sees what fans have craved

Originally posted on Riggo's Rag | By Ryan McCafferty | Last updated Aug 7, 2025 1:30 PM ET

When the Washington Commanders take on the New England Patriots in their preseason opener, they'll be facing off against one veteran player who was once a key member of their squad.

Offensive tackle Morgan Moses, a 2014 third-round pick who started every game for Washington between 2015 and 2020, is set to enter his 12th NFL season. Since leaving D.C., he's had additional stints with the New York Jets (twice) and the Baltimore Ravens.

Now, he's in New England. Moses is still keeping an eye on his old club from afar. And he's suitably impressed with how things are unfolding under the current regime.

Morgan Moses highlights Commanders' supreme culture shift under Dan Quinn

Things are very different in Washington than they were when Moses first departed. He seems to be well aware of that, judging from his comments to the media after joint practice.

Moses did not mince words when speaking to JP Finlay from NBC Sports, and the undertones of his statement are obvious.

Former Washington OL Morgan Moses, now with the Patriots, speaks on the culture change with the Burgundy and Gold

"Now they got a coach who can lead by example... people want to follow him"@JPFinlayNBCS #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/9WuVmw7fyd
— NBC4 Sports (@NBC4Sports) August 6, 2025

It's as much of a shot at Moses' former head men in Washington (which, for all but his final year, was Jay Gruden) as it is an endorsement of Dan Quinn. The job that the Salisbury University alum has done in D.C. cannot be emphasized enough, with his passionate motivational energy completely reinvigorating a franchise that was long overdue for a spark.

Gruden, on the other hand, was the polar opposite.

His tenure was marred by patterns of poor preparation on the field and endless dysfunction off of it. Of course, Gruden was only a mere cog in a much bigger organizational problem that started with Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen, but he certainly contributed to enabling a culture that was not, in fact, "damn good."

Ron Rivera did his best to come in and right the ship, and the 2020 season that Moses contributed to was a storybook run. Washington saw the miraculous return of quarterback Alex Smith and won the NFC East after starting the year 1-5, all as the new head coach overcame a cancer diagnosis the prior offseason.

But ultimately, the tenure of Rivera ended with a lethargic vibe, with players checked out and home games routinely overrun by opposing fans.

The pieces were slowly being set in motion to begin a new era, starting with Snyder's forced sale of the team to Josh Harris in 2023. Quinn's arrival the following offseason, along with the selection of franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels, cemented the culture change that Washington so desperately needed.

And it's most obvious of all to players like Moses who were here through rock bottom.