The Washington Commanders are viewed at the top of the NFC East, sitting right behind the reigning Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles.
In 2024, the Commanders knocked off the Eagles in one of their regular season meetings but got dominated in the NFC Championship game.
But the Washington Commanders felt way ahead of schedule last season. Now, with a full offseason for Jayden Daniels, some big moves to bring in talent like Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil and the momentum from last year’s incredible run, Washington is predicted by most analysts to make the playoffs and be a contender yet again in 2025.
It’s truly remarkable how quickly the narrative surrounding the Commanders has changed.
Just two seasons ago, the franchise was the laughing stock of the NFL and former owner Dan Snyder was getting hammered with accusations of stealing from the other owners, sexual harassment in the workplace and other major crimes that led to FBI investigations.
The team had just finished a rebrand that didn’t exactly land well with the fan base, and on the field, reaching a NFC Championship game felt light years away.
The Commanders finished the 2023 season with just four wins, but as soon as Snyder sold the team to Josh Harris and his ownership group, changes began to happened. And they happened fast.
Harris vowed to invest in team facilities, upgrade Northwest Stadium, provide a better fan experience and hire the right people in charge of the football operation to bring winning back to D.C.
The duo of GM Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn appear to be home run hires, and there’s no reason to believe the Commanders won’t be in contention to make a Super Bowl run in 2025.
Their rival Dallas Cowboys would love to change that narrative.
After putting together three-straight (12-5) seasons with Mike McCarthy as head coach but losing early in the playoffs in each of those seasons, the Cowboys took a major step back in 2024, finishing with a (7-10) record.
A season-ending injury to starting QB Dak Prescott didn’t help anything, but Jerry Jones still opted to fire McCarthy after the season and the Cowboys are banking on longtime NFL assistant Brian Schottenheimer to right the ship.
It’s certainly a gamble as Schottenheimer didn’t have any interest from other NFL teams to be their head coach, but Jones stood by his decision and believes he’s the man that can turn it around.
The Cowboys did recently add a significant offensive weapon by trading for George Pickens to play alongside CeeDee Lamb, but one prediction has them signing a former Commanders defensive standout in 2025 to try to help knock off their division rival.
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report believes the Dallas Cowboys could sign CB Kendall Fuller, who spent the bulk of his career with the Washington Commanders. Fuller became a household name after hauling in the game-clinching interception for the Cin Super Bowl LIV.
"Dallas can bring in Fuller to shore up its pass coverage. He can line up outside to fill in for Diggs and transition into the slot if none of the young defensive backs impress in nickel duties," Moton said.