Last season, the Washington Commanders saw an eight-game win increase from their 2023 total, going from 4-13 to 12-5. However, could Dan Quinn and his team suffer a setback in 2025 and be a squad that misses the playoffs?
On Friday's edition of "Pro Football Talk," NBC Sports NFL analyst Chris Simms sees Washington taking a step back this upcoming season and being one of the NFC teams that fails to get back to the postseason after making it to the NFC title game.
"I am expecting a little bit of a drop-off from the Commanders," Simms said. "One, their schedule is hard. They're not going to catch everybody by surprise. People are just going to study in the offseason how to defend Jayden Daniels in this offense a little bit. The first-year energy of a new coach is gone."
Daniels made the transition from college to the pros look seamless as the Commanders felt the impact of their young signal caller. While many expect the 24-year-old to take another step in his growth, he could be without his No. 1 target from last season, Terry McLaurin, to start the campaign.
MORE: Terry McLaurin activated, but tension remains in Washington
McLaurin and the Commanders are in a contract standoff with the Washington receiver requesting a trade. Moreover, with the preseason underway and Week 1 fast approaching, there is no progress on a deal between the two sides.
On Saturday, McLaurin was activated from the list of physically unable to perform, but it didn't change his contract standoff with the team. McLaurin landed on the PUP list with an ankle injury, but the move followed a multi-day holdout at the start of training camp, making it easy to link the two.
Quinn clarified that the decision was strictly about McLaurin's recovery, noting the receiver is "making good strides" in returning from the injury. He added there's no update on the contract situation. As a result, it will be interesting to see if this situation leaks over to the regular season and impacts the team.