To say things didn’t go as planned for the 2025 Washington Commanders would be an understatement. After shocking everyone in 2024, winning 12 games and advancing to the NFC Championship Game behind rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders won only five games in 2025.
Washington was the NFL’s darlings in 2024, only to regress and return to picking in the top 10 of the NFL draft.
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Injuries can explain much of the Commanders’ problems. Beginning in Week 2, Washington lost multiple starters, including running back Austin Ekeler and defensive end Deatrich Wise, for the season. In that game, Daniels also suffered a knee injury. While it wouldn’t be a serious injury, it would cost him the next two games and begin what would be a frustrating and forgettable season for the 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
The Commanders’ downfall was one of the NFL’s top stories in 2025. In fact, CBS Sports ranked the top 25 stories from the 2025 season, and Washington’s struggles ranked No. 19.
Jayden Daniels and the Commanders were the darlings of the NFL last year, going 12-5 and the franchise’s first NFC Championship appearance in more than 30 years as Daniels won Offensive Rookie of the Year. The team’s veteran signees played roles larger than anyone could have imagined, and Daniels was incredibly clutch as Washington won seven games by five points or fewer.
It all went south in 2025. Daniels suffered a knee injury in Week 2, a hamstring injury in Week 7, an elbow injury in Week 9 and an aggravation of the elbow injury in Week 14. Injuries wreaked havoc on both sides of the ball, and the defense plummeted to among the league’s worst. The team was the NFL’s oldest by a significant margin, and it showed.
Perennial doormats for much of the 21st century, Washington finally rose out of that status in 2024, only to fall back to it in 2025. There’s much to do ahead of the 2026 season.
While he isn’t on the hot seat, head coach Dan Quinn knows what happened in 2025 is unacceptable. Immediately after the season concluded, Quinn mutually parted ways with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and fired defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. and offensive line coach Bobby Johnson. The Commanders continue to make coaching changes, with franchise legend Ryan Kerrigan on the way out.
Washington believes new offensive coordinator David Blough can help get Daniels back on track, while new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones should be aided by improved defensive talent in 2026.
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One thing is certain: Quinn is betting big on his new coordinators, and he understands the risk.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: CBS says downfall one of NFL’s top 2025 stories