ESPN pointed to one position group that the Washington Commanders vastly upgraded this offseason, yet they still rank among the toughest 2026 schedules
The offseason continues to progress for the Washington Commanders with the major offseason acquisitions already complete, giving fans a chance to dive into rosters for the next wave of offseason analysis. That also includes a updated preseason outlook for the Commanders, who drew one of the toughest schedules ahead of the 2026 regular season.
Washington checked in with the eighth toughest NFL schedule, according to Warren Sharp, with a 7.5 preseason projected win total for the 2026 season.
Only the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears drew a tougher 2026 schedule than Washington in Sharp's rankings.
Washington ended the 2025 season ranked smack dab in the middle of the league with the 16th-easiest schedule, yet finished 5-12 in a season filled with injuries for head coach Dan Quinn.
Washington is set to host the Rams at Northwest Stadium in 2026 along with the Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons in addition to the divisional opponents. The Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans round out the road slate.
The Commanders will also play one game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the 2026 London games, marking the second consecutive season that the Commanders have played an international game while marking third ever in franchise history.
Whether Washington is able to outperform preseason expectations could dictate what level of changes could become realistic possibilities next offseason, yet general manager Adam Peters and the front office had ample resources to work with this offseason to fill several major questions.
Yet the position that was best addressed this offseason was the edge rushers after inking several pieces in free agency, headlined by Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson, before turning to Joshua Josephs on day three of the NFL Draft. While it was the biggest question mark for Washington ahead of the offseason, ESPN agreed that it was the position best addressed this offseason.
John Keim of ESPN pointed to Washington's 30.8% pass rush win rate after week seven of the 2025 season as a glaring concern with Oweh, Chaisson and Josephs also joining Dorance Armstrong, who was lost in 2025 due to a torn ACL, and Charles Omenihu, who could become an interior rusher in the trenches. While many have noted the concerns in the secondary, it's clear that Washington elected for depth and speed as the way to bolster the 2026 defense with optimism surrounding the pieces available to first-year defensive coordinator Daronte Jones.