You could argue that the Washington Commanders have been stuck in quarterback purgatory since Joe Gibbs retired for the first time after the 1992 season.
There have been standout performances over the years. Trent Green had a breakout year, and Washington allowed him to sign with the Rams. Brad Johnson looked to be the guy, only for Daniel Snyder to become enamored with Jeff George and see Johnson go to Tampa Bay and win a Super Bowl.
There was Robert Griffin III’s magical rookie season of 2012. Then came Kirk Cousins, the most successful Washington quarterback of the last 30 years. After three record-breaking seasons from Cousins, Snyder and Bruce Allen gave the blueprint on how not to handle a franchise quarterback.
Since Cousins left after the 2017 season, Washington has started Alex Smith, Colt McCoy, Mark Sanchez, Josh Johnson, Case Keenum, Dwayne Haskins, Kyle Allen, Taylor Heinicke, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Garrett Gilbert, Carson Wentz and Sam Howell. Only Howell (2023) has started every game in a single season out of the past six.
The good news is Snyder can’t fumble any more quarterbacks. He’s gone. Josh Harris is the new owner, and he wisely hired a true GM, Adam Peters, to lead the football operations.
Even better news: A new Washington regime has the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, where three quarterbacks are considered elite prospects.
ESPN recently ranked all 32 NFL teams in 10 categories. The Commanders were a rung below the middle of the pack in the “Stuck in QB purgatory” category.
Washington was one of five teams, along with the Broncos, Steelers, Patriots and Falcons.
Here’s what they said about the Commanders:
What’s next: The question isn’t whether Washington takes a quarterback with the second overall pick. More pointedly, will the Commanders make a push to move into the No. 1 spot for Caleb Williams? Either way, they are in a great spot to secure a franchise passer. Washington has several other needs, of course, including offensive line, pass-rusher and tight end, depending on what the team does with veteran Logan Thomas ($6.5 million in cap savings if released). A decision on whether to re-sign safety Kamren Curl will be among the most important free agency decisions for the franchise.
This is fair. The Commanders, despite finishing 4-13 in 2023, do not have one of the bottom-five rosters. A lame-duck coaching staff held Washington back more than anything. Former coach Ron Rivera rolled the dice on Howell last season and didn’t give him nearly enough help to succeed. While Howell had many great moments, he didn’t do enough to convince Washington not to use its first-round pick on a quarterback.
ESPN was correct to place Washington in “QB purgatory.” Perhaps that ends soon. Whether it’s Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels, the Commanders will have a rookie under center in 2024 and, for the first time in years, real hope.
