The Washington Commanders have a long list of questions to address this offseason, but that didn't stop a bearish outlook on the 2026 season.
The Washington Commanders are nearing the phase of the offseason where they will begin to be able to start making moves to address the roster holes on both sides of the ball with the franchise tag window already open and both free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft ahead of them. But with all eyes set on what the level of the bounce back is in year three of the Dan Quinn era, one outlet points to the Commanders battling a possible .500 record in 2026.
CBS Sports projected a 7.5 win total for the Commanders, tied with the New York Giants for the fewest wins within the NFC East. Philadelphia once again leads the way as they look to win the division for the third time in four years, while Dallas was projected to finish ahead of both Washington and New York.
In addition to the division opponents, Washington is set to host the Super Bowl defending Seattle Seahawks along with four playoff teams at Northwest Stadium with the Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons on the home slate. The NFL has also announced that the Commanders' road games in 2026 include only a pair of teams who reached the playoffs in 2025 in the San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars along with the Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans.
Of course, whether Washington also adds an international game to its schedule remains to be seen with London pointed to as the most likely destination if it does come to fruition. Washington is coming off an international games appearance after falling 16-13 against the Miami Dolphins for an overtime loss in week 11.
But is 7.5 enough? Whether a second consecutive sub-.500 season is enough to keep Dan Quinn beyond a third season is a question mark despite guiding the Commanders to an NFC Championship game appearance in 2024, but hovering near eight wins in 2026 might not be enough to command a significant turnaround.
Washington will look to bolster the offseason outlook when they are able to begin officially addressing needs during the spring into summer as general manager Adam Peters joined Dan Quinn in transparency on roster needs on both sides of the ball. The first order of business will be navigating free agency to upgrade the weapons around quarterback Jayden Daniels in year three, along with upgrading the talent available to new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones in his first season with the franchise.