NFL analyst delivers gut punch to Commanders' 2025 Super Bowl dream

The Washington Commanders are banking on experience to steer them through with bigger expectations on their shoulders in 2025. An NFL analyst wondered if this approach will reap similar rewards when the regular season arrives once again.

Adam Peters is pushing his chips into the middle. The Commanders opened their Super Bowl window much quicker than anticipated after a sensational surge to the NFC Championship game. This woke a sleeping giant and galvanized a previously demoralized fan base. It was a success that most could barely believe, but maintaining this standard is a much tougher task.

Peters signed a lot of veterans with accomplished credentials this offseason. Washington also brought back most free agents who gave so much to the cause last time around. That keeps continuity, but it leaves the Commanders with one of the league's oldest rosters on both sides of the football.

NFL analyst doesn't expect Super Bowl push from Commanders in 2025

Bill Barnwell from ESPN highlighted this precarious situation in greater detail. The respected analyst thought the Commanders were playing a risky game similar to the Houston Texans' approach last season. Although it couldn't be completely dismissed, he thought another Super Bowl challenge was unlikely given most on the squad have reached their ceiling.

The 2023 Texans broke through quickly after landing a star quarterback in the draft, but they surrounded that passer with one of the league's oldest rosters. In 2024, while the Texans won their division and a playoff game, they battled through a frustrating season and didn't take the step forward many were hoping. The Commanders should still be good, but this might be more of a consolidation year than one in which they challenge for a Super Bowl, in part because their roster doesn't have many key contributors who project to get better at this point of their careers.Bill Barnwell

It's a fair argument. Reaching the final four again will be a significant challenge with a bigger target on their back. However, the Commanders proved last season that anything is possible with quarterback Jayden Daniels leading the charge.

Daniels has the world at his feet. He's already an elite-level quarterback, and the supporting cast around him improved exponentially this offseason. The Commanders are doing everything possible to ensure the dreaded sophomore slump doesn't arrive, but the dynamic signal-caller cannot do it alone.

It must be a collective effort. There is no room for complacency. Everyone must meet their end of the bargain to enhance Washington's chances of proving its incredible first year under head coach Dan Quinn wasn't just a flash in the pan.

If this aging yet high-quality roster all meet their required targets, they won't be too far away. And nobody will care how old this squad is if similar heights are reached.

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