Washington Commanders

After a successful first season together, Marcus Mariota and the Washington Commanders are running it back in 2025.

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Mariota has agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal with the Commanders that will keep him as Jayden Daniels' backup.

The Commanders are Mariota's fifth team in his NFL career. He was originally the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NFL draft by the Tennessee Titans and spent five years with the organization.

Since leaving Tennessee after the 2019 season, Mariota has had stints with the Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles and Commanders.

Mariota's longest stint with one organization after the Titans was his two-year run with the Raiders from 2020 to '21. His last opportunity as a full-time starter was during the 2022 season with the Falcons. He went 5-8 in 13 games before being replaced by Desmond Ridder.

The Commanders signed Mariota in March 2024 to serve as the backup to Daniels. He played well when called into action, going 34-of-44 with 364 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in three games.

When Daniels left a Week 7 game against the Carolina Panthers in the first quarter with a rib injury, Mariota went 18-of-23 for 205 yards and two touchdowns in a 40-7 victory.

Even though Mariota hasn't lived up to the hype of being drafted No. 2 overall, he's carved out a good career as a backup. The Commanders, fresh off a deep playoff run, know they can rely on him and are maintaining continuity at the quarterback position behind Daniels.

If Mariota gets called into action, there's a reasonable expectation that he can keep the offense operating at a solid level until Daniels is able to return.

The Washington Commanders reportedly will likely release veteran defensive tackle Jonathan Allen "in a cost-cutting move" if they are unable to "find a trading partner" for him, according to The Athletic's Michael Silver.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini previously reported that the Commanders and San Francisco 49ers had discussed swapping Allen for Deebo Samuel before the Niners instead sent Washington a fifth-round pick in exchange for the wideout.

And in late February, reports emerged that the Commanders were exploring a trade for Allen.

At the time, general manager Adam Peters told reporters that "everything's still on the table in terms of whether it's a trade or staying here or whatever."

"He's going into the last year of his deal," Peters added of Allen. "We wanted to give him and his representation a chance to explore other opportunities and we talked about it. So, we'll let them do that."

Moving on, either by release or trade, would offer the Commanders significant cap savings in 2025:

Allen, 30, is a two-time Pro Bowler, though he appeared in just eight games last season due to a torn pectoral. He was able to return for the team's postseason run to the NFC Championship Game, however.

When healthy, Allen registered three sacks and seven quarterback hits in the regular season and a tackle for loss and two quarterback hits in the playoffs.

"It's a true testament to his professionalism to come back from the pec and play in the playoffs," Cleveland Browns guard Joel Bitonio told Silver in January. "He's a very good player who can play both the run and the pass and just goes about his business, down in and down out. His strength is probably his biggest asset, but he's smart and puts himself in great positions. He's kind of an old-school, throwback guy who's gonna lead his team with his consistency."

Allen and Daron Payne have long formed one of the better defensive tackle duos in the sport. That pairing seems likely to be broken up this offseason, however.

The Washington Commanders are reportedly acquiring San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel for a fifth-round draft pick, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Here's a look at how the Commanders' skill position players shake out with Samuel aboard.

Offensive Skill Position Players

QB: Jayden Daniels

RB: Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler

WR: Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, Dyami Brown

TE: Zach Ertz*, John Bates*, Ben Sinnott

* Free agent

Before the trade, the Commanders were listed with $81.9 million in cap space, per Over the Cap.

Samuel has a cap number of $15.9 million in 2025. Barring a restructured contract or extension, Washington will have around $66 million in remaining cap space.

Samuel becomes the No. 2 wideout in Washington, a versatile weapon for reigning Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year and quarterback Jayden Daniels to find.

The 29-year-old broke out in 2021, earning First-Team All-Pro honors with 1,770 total yards and 14 touchdowns. He hasn't found that success since, posting a 17-game average of 66 catches, 867 yards and five touchdowns from 2022-2024, per Pro Football Reference.

However, he has a path to experiencing a career renaissance in Washington, which just enjoyed a 12-win season and its first NFC Championship Game appearance since 1991. The offense ranked fifth in scoring last season, and now it adds a dynamic talent to complement the stars already on the field.

Overall, this looks like a great pickup for the Commanders, and the team still has a ton of cap space to work with as it looks toward fighting for its first Super Bowl in 34 years.

Coming off the Washington Commanders' surprise run to the NFC Championship Game last season, people around the NFL want to see the team get aggressive while Jayden Daniels is on a cost-controlled contract.

A current offensive coach in the league told ESPN's John Keim the Commanders need to "spend every dollar you can while Jayden is on a rookie deal."

Washington enters the offseason as one of the most fascinating teams to watch because of the success it had in 2024. The front office has an estimated $82.2 million in cap space to use, third-most in the NFL behind the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders.

The Patriots and Raiders are coming off a year in which they both finished 4-13. The Commanders went 12-5 and reached the NFC title game for the first time since the 1991 season.

Per NFL.com's Chad Reuter, Washington's list of primary needs this offseason includes edge-rusher, offensive tackle, wide receiver, linebacker and cornerback.

They could theoretically address two of those needs by signing Tee Higgins and trading for Myles Garrett. That would eat up a lot of their cap space, but it would also give them two impact players at key positions.

While that sounds good, it's unclear if either player will be available to them. The Cincinnati Bengals are talking like a team that anticipates keeping Higgins. The Cleveland Browns continue to insist they're not interested in honoring Garrett's trade request.

There are other ways for the Commanders to fill some of their needs. They could try to sign Ronnie Stanley to play tackle, Zack Baun to play linebacker and Chris Godwin to be the No. 2 receiver next to Terry McLaurin.

Whatever the plan for Commanders general manager Adam Peters is going to be, this would be the offseason to really go hard on improving the roster.

Daniels looks like a superstar after throwing for 3,568 yards, running for 891 yards and accounting for 31 touchdowns to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. He won't count more than $12 million against the cap in the next three years.

There's always a risk of trying to quick-fix a roster through free agency, but the Commanders are in a position with a dynamic young quarterback who proved last season that he's capable of covering up a lot of flaws because of how he plays.

When you're chasing a team within your own division as loaded with talent as the Philadelphia Eagles, you might have to go out of your comfort zone in the pursuit of a Super Bowl.

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn was rated the NFL's top head coach, per the latest edition of the annual NFLPA Team Report Cards.

Quinn was one of six head coaches to receive an overall A-plus grade alongside the Atlanta Falcons' Raheem Morris, the Minnesota Vikings' Kevin O'Connell, the Kansas City Chiefs' Andy Reid, the Miami Dolphins' Mike McDaniel and the Detroit Lions' Dan Campbell.

However, Quinn got the edge at No. 1 given his reception to players' feedback.

"The players feel that Quinn is highly receptive to locker room feedback on the team’s needs, ranking him 1 of 32 head coaches in the league," the report card read.

Quinn and the other five A-plus coaches all received perfect marks regarding the use of players' time.

"100% of Commanders players feel their head coach Dan Quinn is efficient with their time," the report card read. "He is one of six coaches across the league to receive a perfect score."

The NFLPA report card is a poll conducted from nearly 1,700 players around the league regarding their team's leadership, facilities, amenities, etc.

"1,695 of our players provided information to share with one another about their current club, to not only help them make important career decisions, but also help raise standards across the league," the NFLPA stated.

Quinn just finished his first year as the Commanders' head coach. Under his watch, the team tripled its win total from four to 12 and made the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991. He was a finalist for Associated Press Coach of the Year honors, which went to O'Connell.

Needless to say, Quinn did a great job in year one, and hopes remain high in year two, especially with AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels at quarterback.

After being limited to eight games in 2024 due to a torn pectoral muscle, Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen reportedly could be on his way out this offseason.

Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported that the Commanders granted Allen permission to seek a trade as he enters the final year of his contract.

The trade market for Allen has already begun to heat up, as Jones reported that "multiple teams have fielded calls related to Allen in recent days." The Commanders are expected to continue those conversations this week during the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

In his eight appearances last season, Allen had 19 total tackles and three sacks. The two-time Pro Bowler had played in at least 16 games in each of the previous four seasons.

Allen has spent his entire eight-year career in Washington after being drafted 17th overall in 2017 and signing a four-year, $72 million extension prior to the 2021 season. His $15.5 million base salary for 2025 is not guaranteed, but his $22.47 million cap number is the third-highest on the roster. However, it sounds like the franchise isn't interested in reworking his deal.

Jones noted that the Commanders "have been preparing for the possibility of life without Allen" for quite some time, pointing out that they signed defensive tackle Daron Payne to a four-year, $90 million extension in 2023 and used a 2024 second-round pick to select defensive tackle Johnny Newton. It was also noted that "a trade or outright release would free up nearly $17 million in cap space."

If healthy, Allen can be a difference-maker on any defensive line as well as a veteran locker room presence, so he will surely garner interest from teams around the league looking to improve in the trenches.

Jesse Madden, the grandson of Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden, is joining the NFL's coaching ranks.

The Washington Commanders announced Tuesday that Madden is joining Dan Quinn's staff as an offensive quality control coach.

John Madden died in December 2021 at the age of 85. He had a 10-year run as head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to '78, leading them to a victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI.

After his coaching career ended, John shifted to broadcasting and became arguably the most influential voice in football until the end of his career in 2008. He is also famous for lending his name and likeness to the Madden NFL video game series that debuted in 1988.

Jesse Madden recently graduated from the University of Michigan, where he was a member of the football team. He began his playing career with the Wolverines as a quarterback as a freshman before shifting to defensive back.

During his college career, Madden won a national title as part of the 2023 team that finished 15-0 under Jim Harbaugh.

The exact role of a quality control coach might vary from team to team, but they are generally responsible for everything from writing scouting reports on future opponents; putting together practice scripts; and assisting coaches in the booth on game day.

Washington is coming off its best season in decades. The team finished 12-5 during the regular season, then defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions in the playoffs to reach the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1991 season.

The Washington Commanders are expected by some to target another wide receiver this offseason to complement two-time Pro Bowler Terry McLaurin, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

McLaurin is coming off his fifth straight 1,000-yard season and set a career high with 13 touchdown grabs. He's under contract through 2025, so it doesn't look like he's going anywhere right now.

But having just one standout pass-catcher doesn’t feel like enough in today’s NFL. Look no further than the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, who boast both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

Considering tight end Zach Ertz had the second-most receiving yards on the team, beefing up the wideout room makes sense for Washington. The Commanders also have $75.2 million in projected salary-cap space, so they can be aggressive in free agency if they want.

Tee Higgins is the top receiver due to become a free agent, and adding him would be a sizable upgrade for the offense. If Washington doesn't want to spend $25 million a year or more, then Amari Cooper, Chris Godwin, Stefon Diggs and Keenan Allen will also be available.

The 2025 NFL draft class boasts some depth as well. There are five receivers among the top 30 players on B/R’s big board. Even assuming Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan will be long gone by the time the Commanders are on the clock at No. 29, they might be able to land Ole Miss' Tre Harris, Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka, Texas' Matthew Golden or Missouri's Luther Burden III.

Maybe general manager Adam Peters takes an even bigger swing and attempts to secure a trade for Deebo Samuel, Tyreek Hill, Ja’Marr Chase, D.K. Metcalf or any other star receiver who could plausibly be available.

The beauty of Jayden Daniels’ rookie contract is that the front office has a lot of paths at its disposal to address the biggest needs on the roster.

After the Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl 59, it's time to take a look at the top contenders for next year's Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California.

Top five contenders for Super Bowl 60, per DraftKings Sportsbook:

• Philadelphia Eagles +550
• Kansas City Chiefs +700
• Buffalo Bills +700
• Baltimore Ravens +700
• Detroit Lions +900

The Eagles are the early favorites after dismantling the back-to-back Super Bowl champions on Sunday, opening at +550 odds to win it all next season.

Jalen Hurts delivered a stellar performance, throwing for 221 yards and two touchdowns, along with a rushing touchdown, while veteran Saquon Barkley contributed 57 yards on the ground. With their dominant showing, the Eagles successfully denied the Chiefs' bid for a historic three-peat and now stand as the clear top contenders heading into next season.

Despite their blowout loss to the Eagles, the Kansas City Chiefs opened at +700 odds, tied for the second-best chance to win Super Bowl 60. The Buffalo Bills (+700 odds), led by MVP Josh Allen and the Baltimore Ravens (+700 odds) are also in the mix.

Buffalo ended the season 13-4, finishing atop the AFC East before suffering a heartbreaking 32-29 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship.

Allen, fresh off his MVP season, threw for 3,731 yards and 28 touchdowns, posting the league's highest quarterback rating at 77.3. With his elite play, a first career Super Bowl appearance could be on the horizon.

Baltimore, which went 12-5 before falling to the Bills in the AFC Divisional Round, remains a legitimate threat in the AFC. Behind two-time MVP—nearly three-time—Lamar Jackson, who tallied 41 touchdowns and 4,172 yards last season, the Ravens could push Buffalo for conference supremacy.

The Washington Commanders, led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, completed an impressive turnaround from their 4-13 record last season, finishing 12-5. With their remarkable improvement, they enter the offseason with strong Super Bowl hopes in eighth place, sitting at +1,900 odds.

Despite not reaching a Super Bowl since 1957, the Detroit Lions are among the top favorites at +900 odds. Super Bowl 58 runner-up San Francisco sits at +1,500 odds, while the Cincinnati Bengals, a recent Super Bowl contender, remain in the hunt at +1,800 odds.

At the bottom of the odds board, the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns share the longest Super Bowl 60 odds at +20,000 after finishing the season 3-14.