The Washington Commanders have questions with its skill players, which is why they rank among the NFL's worst ahead of 2026.
When veteran tight end Zach Ertz went down in the third quarter of the week 14 road matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, the offseason need at the position was magnified for the Washington Commanders to address the lack of a true pass catching threat.
That appeared to materialize when tight end Chig Okonkwo became one of the first free agent signings to give the offense a weapon in space who addresses that exact concern. Behind him? There may be a question mark with the expectation that new offensive coordinator David Blough leans on two tight end sets in the new-look offense.
John Bates, a former fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Boise State, fills the role as a strong blocker in the room that could add balance given Okonkwo's skillset. While athletic 26 year old Colson Yankoff will look to earn an elevated role after doing this like reeling in a one-handed snag during redzone drills in OTAs, Ben Sinnott enters preseason as maybe the wildcard in the room where the limited production in 2025 came after Ertz's injury after playing in at least 55% of the offense's snaps in each of the final four games and finished with 114 yards and one touchdown on 11 catches.
While the pieces might prove to be more than the sum of its parts, Washington also had a question at running back with a chance that the front office pivoted to a feature back if Jeremiyah Love remained on the board with the seventh pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but that came far from materializing after the Arizona Cardinals took him off the board. Instead, Rachaad White could be the one ahead of an expected committee approach featuring a blend of power, speed, veterans and youth.
Yet big picture, where do the Commanders' skill players stack up across the NFL?
ESPN slotted Washington 27th in the league and third in the NFC East ahead of the New York Giants, which may be more understandable when accounting for the wide receiver room also included.
While the lack of proven production in the running back and wide receiver room could mark a question mark even with reason for optimism, the lack of true threat aside from someone named Terry McLaurin adds too big of a question mark. It's why the constant question centered around Washington since free agency has been whether the offense has enough for quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Maybe an eventual resolution in the Brandon Aiyuk saga alters the outlook, but even with no concrete end in sight amid daily Instagram updates, the Niners wideout will have to re-prove himself on the field. Maybe he can be one to upgrade the outlook, but until then, the Commanders enters 2026 with valid questions surrounding the weapons available to Daniels.
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