The Washington Commanders‘ 2025 season was one they’d just as soon forget. After winning just five games, Adam Peters and Dan Quinn opted to move on from defensive coordinator Joe Whitt and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury in favor of Daronte Jones and David Blough, respectively. They’ve also left some of their veteran free agents on the market instead of bringing them back.
The Commanders also signed some new faces in an effort to make the defense younger and faster, and Peters drafted very well with the limited picks he had to work with. After all the work this team has done during the offseason, how exciting are they going to be, really? Bleacher Report recently gave each NFL team a number on an excitement scale, with one being the least exciting and 10 being the most.
Washington Commanders: 6 — Jayden Daniels is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Dude has clear superstar potential, but if he falls short or can’t stay healthy again in 2026, this is one of the most uninteresting teams in the league.
To give you a better understanding of what they are looking at, here’s the rest of the NFC East:
Dallas Cowboys: 6 — I mean, the nucleus hasn’t really changed after they went 7-9-1 in 2025, but they have added some quality guys on defense and the talent is there for a run. This remains one of the most intriguing teams in pro football.
New York Giants: 9 — The potential is undeniable, and there is a huge delta between ceiling and floor for a team that is loaded with intriguing young talent on both sides of the ball and has brought in a Super Bowl-winning head coach.
Philadelphia Eagles: 6 — You can’t go much lower than a six for a prime contender, but it’s status quo for a still-flawed team that may be trading away its No. 1 receiver. It’s hard to get too fired up here.
If we’re talking about purely excitement, then the Eagles’ Super Bowl contention shouldn’t play a part. How exciting are they to watch on the field? How exciting will their season be? And if we’re comparing to previous seasons, it’s fair to say that the Eagles aren’t exciting at all anymore. Contendership or not, that number seems too high.
The Cowboys do have a little bit of intrigue. They put a heavy focus on defense in the 2026 NFL Draft, including selecting dynamic Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, so there’s something to perk your ears up at least. The Giants absolutely have a buzz of excitement, especially after hiring John Harbaugh.
The Commanders probably feel more exciting as a team to their fanbase than to outsiders. They’ve made some solid changes and look to be competitive in 2026, but if they are still as heavily reliant on Jayden Daniels as they have been in the past, those changes may not matter. Daniels is one person, so Blough and Quinn have to figure out how to utilize the weapons around him appropriately.
The Commanders have the potential to be incredibly exciting in 2026, but some of that is dependent on certain variables, which is why those outside the building may not understand. Regardless of where this team lands on a media outlet’s excitement scale, the Commanders are poised for a bounce-back. Now, they just have to execute.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: How exciting are they heading into 2026?