Opinions about what will become of teams like the Washington Commanders are widespread this time of year, but usually there’s a consensus as to how good or bad a team might be.
Even when the majority opinion is wrong – like in 2022 where most had the Commanders as a top five team in the NFC heading into the year – the opinions tend to follow a flow with the occassional outlier who many assume is being different for the sake of it.
This year, the projections for Washington are different. Turn on any number of channels, read any number of projections, or listen to your favorite talk radio or podcast host and you’re going to likely hear one of three differing – yet consistently present – opinions. They are that the Commanders will be terrible like most teams undertaking a massive rebuild, competitive but ultimately a better story than a contender, or the next worst-to-first dynamo that takes the NFL by storm.
And then there’s Tom Pelissero, the NFL Network insider who was filling in for Rich Eisen on The Rich Eisen Show recently, who doesn’t know what to make of Washington currently.
“If you stacked up all the teams that I don’t know what they’re going to be, the Commanders are one of the top teams on the list,” Pelissero said. “I know Dan Quinn is a hell of a culture builder. I know (quarterback) Jayden Daniels was a hell of a college quarterback. Beyond that, you’ve got this combination of the (running back) Austin Ekeler, the (linebacker) Bobby Wagners, the big names that are more toward the backend of their career. You’ve obviously got some of the holdovers like (receiver) Terry McLaurin. I just don’t know. Maybe they get that first-year boost like we see all the time from head coaches come in and take a team and it’s a different vibe.”
Chris Brockman, the self-proclaimed Rich Eisen Show boss, shared a brief, but perfectly matched response.
“I just think they’re going to be back in the top five of the draft again. It just seems almost inevitable,” said Brockman.
And there you have it. In one sitting, an acknowledgement that perhaps the Commanders can compete while another opinion predicts another year dwelling at the bottom of the league.
Look around a bit and you’ll see someone else who is polishing the NFC East Division crown for Washington, and you’ll find another yet who predicts at least one playoff game for the franchise this season.
It really is a mixed bag of opinions this season. Fortunately, starting Wednesday with the opening of training camp, we’ll soon get to put action ahead of speculation.