Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels drops back to pass against the Minnesota Vikings. Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Why Commanders Season Wasn't a Total Failure

Originally posted on Washington Commanders on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Jan 31, 2026 11:00 AM ET

The Washington Commanders struggled mightily in the 2025 campaign, notching just five wins in the 17-game schedule.

The team finished 7 games worse than the year before and missed the playoffs, which was a big difference between what they were able to do the year before when they made all the way to the NFC championship. Bleacher Report writer Brad Gagnon graded all 32 teams for the season and gave the Commanders a "D+" for their efforts.

"The Commanders were gutted by injuries, particularly to the offensive core as Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin both missed significant time. Still, 5-12? With the defense surrendering 26.5 points per game? This team just didn't have it. They'll have to hope it was a one-off," Gagnon wrote.

Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Commanders Hopeful They Can Bounce Back

Things were certainly brutal for the Commanders this season, but the main reason why they didn't get a failing grade was the injury bug. A lot of the team's issues this season can be stemmed from that. A number of players missed action, including quarterback Jayden Daniels, who didn't play in more than half of the games.

Injuries are part of every NFL season, so they cannot use it as an excuse. Teams can respond to injuries in the right way, but sometimes there's just a case of "when it rains, it pours," which is what happened to the Commanders.

The team can only hope for a bill of good health in the upcoming season and that they will make the necessary moves to combat things when times get tough.

During the team's big losing streak of the season, it seemed like things began to snowball, and the Commanders never found any momentum to turn things around. Figuring out what the small details that were wrong will go a long way for their development and improvement.