Commanders labeled 'pretenders' for 2026 NFL season
One outlet says that the Washington Commanders won't be contenders in 2026, labeling them as 'pretenders.'
The Washington Commanders ' 2025 season was practically the polar opposite of how their 2024 season turned out. After making the playoffs and reaching the NFC Championship for the first time in over 30 years, the Commanders hit a brick wall. Jayden Daniels spent much of the season battling various injuries, the defense was riddled with injuries, and the rotational pieces didn't (or couldn't) step up.
That season led the Commanders to fire Kliff Kingsbury and Joe Whitt, bringing in David Blough and Daronte Adams (respectively) as their replacements. Then came free agency, where Adam Peters hit the ground hard to improve what was one of the league's worst defenses in 2025. They continued that in the draft, while adding some offensive pieces, they hope will be enough to get this team back on track.
Recently, Bleacher Report examined 12 teams that could be contenders in 2026. They did not include teams at the bottom of the league, such as the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders (among others), nor the 2025 playoff teams. Instead, they looked at teams that missed the postseason in 2025 and have aspirations of avoiding that in 2026.
At the end of their assessment, they determined if a team was real (buying) or pretending (selling). Here's what they said about the Commanders: While the New England Patriots were going from also-ran to the AFC title last year, the Washington Commanders were hurtling in the opposite direction. After winning 12 games and making the NFC Championship Game in 2024, an injury-ravaged Commanders squad went 5-12 in 2025.