Andrew Buller-Russ
After years of searching for an improvement over Kirk Cousins, the Washington Commanders finally feel they have a franchise quarterback with Sam Howell. Whether he has a higher ceiling or puts the Commanders in a better position than if they had just signed Cousins back in 2018 may still be up for debate, but that’s not the point here.
The point is Washington’s trajectory is finally on an upward trend again, with hope brimming from the QB position but also from upstairs, where new ownership has breathed new life into the organization.
Now, instead of the Commanders being viewed as a less-than-desirable workplace, it’s a completely different outlook, and individuals within the NFL are taking notice.
Take it from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, who says Washington’s possible head coaching vacancy is “getting a lot of buzz.” She even declared Washington’s coaching position as the “top destination for coaches” and suggested the Commanders may be able to land their No. 1 head coach target this offseason.
In addition to a shift in the atmosphere around the Commanders’ facility, Washington has also positioned itself well for the future by trading for a few extra future NFL Draft selections. Trades that sent out Chase Young and Montez Sweat were hard to swallow at the time, but now the Commanders could have as many as three picks in the first 45 selections and five in the top 100 or so selections in April. That’s quite the injection of youth for a new coach.
While the Commanders have not indicated whether they will or won’t move on from Ron Rivera after four seasons at the helm, that’s the current expectation among those close to the situation.
