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Washington Commanders News & Rumors

Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order

December 1st, 2025 at 10:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Week 12 saw the Giants become the first team in the NFL to be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Based on yesterday’s results, another two teams from each conference saw their postseason chances officially come to an end.

The Titans, Saints, Raiders and Cardinals have now been eliminated as well. Attention in the case of those teams will increasingly turn toward the offseason. For some, questions about changes at the quarterback spot will be ongoing through the spring. Free agency is not expected to include many notable options, so the draft will be sought out in several instances as a means of finding a 2026 starter.

Of course, the incoming class of passers has largely underwhelmed this season. That has led to uncertainty regarding the ceiling for many of the top prospects at the quarterback position. Nevertheless, supply often outweighs demand at the top of the Day 1 order in the NFL draft. How things shake out over the closing weeks of the season will be key in determining which QB-needy teams find themselves in the best position to select a new QB1.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order is determined by the inverted 2025 standings plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule. Playoff squads are slotted by their postseason outcome and the reverse order of their regular season record.

Here is an early look at the first-round order:

  1. Tennessee Titans (1-11)
  2. New York Giants (2-11)
  3. New Orleans Saints (2-10)
  4. Las Vegas Raiders (2-10)
  5. Cleveland Browns (3-9)
  6. Washington Commanders (3-9)
  7. New York Jets (3-9)
  8. Arizona Cardinals (3-9)
  9. Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
  10. Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)
  11. Minnesota Vikings (4-8)
  12. Miami Dolphins (5-7)
  13. Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)
  14. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6)
  15. Carolina Panthers (7-6)
  16. Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1)
  17. Detroit Lions (7-5)
  18. Houston Texans (7-5)
  19. Baltimore Ravens (6-6)
  20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5)
  21. Buffalo Bills (8-4)
  22. Philadelphia Eagles (8-4)
  23. New York Jets (via Colts)
  24. San Francisco 49ers (9-4)
  25. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
  26. Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars)
  27. Dallas Cowboys (via Packers)
  28. Seattle Seahawks (9-3)
  29. Los Angeles Rams (9-3)
  30. Chicago Bears (9-3)
  31. Denver Broncos (10-2)
  32. New England Patriots (11-2)

David Blough To Finish Season As Commanders’ QBs Coach

December 1st, 2025 at 3:34pm CST by Adam La Rose

Last week, Tavita Pritchard accepted the head coaching position at Stanford. That left the Commanders in need of a replacement quarterbacks coach to close out the season.

At the time of the Pritchard news, assistant quarterbacks coach David Blough was named as the logical candidate to take over. To no surprise, that will indeed be the case. Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed on Monday (via Tashan Reed of the Washington Post) Blough will finish the season as the Commanders’ new QBs coach.

Blough was hired in 2024 as part of Quinn’s first Washington staff. That came shortly after his playing career – which included nine regular season NFL appearances – ended. During last year’s hiring cycle, Blough drew interest from a number of teams, with the Commanders blocking an interview request from the Jets. It will be interesting to see if the Washington’s commitment in this case continues past the 2025 season.

As Quinn has clarified (h/t Reed), pass-game coordinator Brian Johnson will assist in coaching the Commanders’ quarterbacks over the closing stages of the campaign. Johnson has also been a part of Washington’s staff for the past two years. His stint in the nation’s capital began after his run with the Eagles (including offensive coordinator duties for 2023) came to an end. No new assistant QBs coach will be named on an interim basis.

For the time being, Blough’s promotion has him on track to work with veteran backup Marcus Mariota. Starter Jayden Daniels continues to work toward a return as early as Week 14, however. Once Daniels is back in the fold, he will finish out his second year with a new (but familiar) position coach.

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin To Return In Week 13; Latest On QB Jayden Daniels

November 30th, 2025 at 9:51am CST by Adam La Rose

NOVEMBER 30: Both Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link) and ESPN’s Adam Schefter note that Daniels has not been cleared for contact yet and is officially out for Week 13. While Daniels could suit up in Week 14 and has expressed his desire to do so (per Schefter), it remains unclear 1) whether he will be medically cleared; and 2) if the team will believe it is worth the risk to put him back on the field for the stretch run of a lost season.

NOVEMBER 28: The Commanders are not in position to contend for a playoff spot in 2025, but they could be much closer to full strength on offense down the stretch. Receiver Terry McLaurin is in line to make his return on Sunday.

“I plan to play as much as I can and as much as they’ll allow me to,” McLaurin said (via ESPN’s John Keim). “It’s really encouraging to hear from my teammates and coaches that they don’t feel like I’ve missed a step. I just have a confidence about myself.”

McLaurin was available for the first three games of the season before suffering a quad injury. His next game action came in Week 8, and he aggravated the issue. That has resulted in by far the most missed time in the seven-year veteran’s career while dealing a blow to Washington’s offense. The Commanders sit at 3-8 on the year ahead of a primetime matchup with the Broncos.

A return to the postseason in 2025 is not in store as a result, but Washington’s outlook for the coming weeks would receive a boost with McLaurin back in the fold. The two-time Pro Bowler topped 1,000 yards every year from 2020-24, something which helped land him a $29MM-per-year extension in August. Expectations for the McLaurin-Jayden Daniels connection will remain high for the foreseeable future, and that duo could be back on the field together shortly.

Daniels is set to miss Week 13, but his recovery from an elbow injury is ongoing. The 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year has returned to practice, setting up a potential return for next week. The possibility of shutting Daniels down for the remainder of the season has been raised, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirms team and player have engaged in “big-picture conversations” about returning this late in a lost season. For now, though, a return as early as Week 14 can be expected.

Both Daniels and receiver Noah Brown – who was designated for return from IR on Monday – were full participants in yesterday’s practice. As such, they could soon rejoin McLaurin in game action, something which would give the Commanders a rare instance of offensive availability in 2025.

Commanders Activate S Will Harris From IR

November 29th, 2025 at 4:15pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Commanders announced that they have activated safety Will Harris from IR. After missing eight games, he’s in line to return Sunday against the Broncos.

Harris, a former Lion and Saint, entered 2025 as a starter after signing a two-year, $8MM deal with the Commanders in free agency. He made 11 tackles in parts of three games before fracturing his fibula in a Week 3 win over the Raiders. The Commanders have since dealt with a slew of other injuries during a 3-8 start.

Knowing Harris would miss a significant amount of time, the Commanders signed veteran Darnell Savage to help fill the void. The ex-Packer and Jaguar hasn’t been much of a factor in Washington, though.

With Savage working as a backup, Jeremy Reaves has taken over as a starting safety next to Quan Martin. Reaves has mostly functioned as a special teamer since his career began with Washington in 2018, but he has notched personal bests in starts (seven), tackles (63), and passes defensed (three) this season.

In addition to welcoming back Harris, the Commanders made a series of other moves on Saturday. The team signed long snapper Zach Triner to its practice squad and elevated him to its active roster. It also elevated defensive end T.J. Maguranyanga from the taxi squad and placed wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks on the practice squad injured list.

Triner combined for 84 appearances with the Buccaneers and Dolphins from 2019-24 (81 with Tampa Bay). He’ll make his 2025 debut Sunday if Commanders long snapper Tyler Ott is unable to play. Ott is is questionable with an illness and a back injury.

Commanders’ Tavita Pritchard Taking HC Job At Stanford

November 28th, 2025 at 10:17pm CST by Ely Allen

The Commanders are experiencing a rare midseason staffing change after quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard was named the new head coach at Stanford University, his alma mater. The move was first announced by ESPN’s Pete Thamel and confirmed shortly after with an official announcement from the school.

Stanford serves as an alma mater for Pritchard in several ways beyond just the traditional sense. Yes, he attended school in Stanford and played quarterback for the Cardinal from 2006-09. While he didn’t win any awards as a player, he once led the Cardinal — as a replacement starter — to an upset win over the top-ranked Trojans when Stanford was a 41-point underdog. After serving as a full-time starter in his junior year, Pritchard took a backseat as a senior behind freshman phenom and future No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck, who currently serves as Stanford’s general manager.

Following his playing career, Pritchard immediately turned to coaching, joining the Cardinal’s staff as a graduate assistant. He served two years after that as a defensive assistant before getting his first position coaching job as running backs coach in 2013. The next year, he moved to coaching quarterbacks and wide receivers mentoring future NFL names like quarterback Kevin Hogan and wide receivers Ty Montgomery, Trenton Irwin, and JJ Arcega-Whiteside over the next four years.

In 2018, he was promoted to offensive coordinator while retaining the title of quarterbacks coach. While the offense under Pritchard — and then-head coach David Shaw — was never blazing, he was a key part of the development of quarterbacks Davis Mills and Tanner McKee. He accepted the quarterbacks coaching position in Washington for then-head coach Ron Rivera‘s final year leading the team, and he was retained when the Commanders transitioned from Rivera to Dan Quinn and from offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy to Kliff Kingsbury.

According to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic, Pritchard will coach in the Commanders’ Week 13 game against the Broncos on Sunday night. No plans have been disclosed past that, but the insinuation seems to be that Pritchard will then shift his focus to the NCAA’s early national signing period in early December.

Young quarterback Jayden Daniels won’t lack for mentors, despite Pritchard’s departure. For the remaining five games of the year, Jhabvala predicts assistant quarterbacks coach David Blough could step into full position coaching role, and Kingsbury still stands as a huge influence in his role as coordinator. Blough, who recently retired from his playing career back in 2023, is in his second year on the Washington staff, and the higher-ups like him a lot.

NFL Minor Transactions: 11/28/25

November 28th, 2025 at 9:06pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are Friday’s minor NFL transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

Washington Commanders

With leading receiver Drake London set to miss his second straight game with a knee injury, Drummond joins the 53-man roster off the taxi squad. He was unable to be a standard gameday practice squad elevation, since he’d already been elevated three times this year.

Chosen is headed to the waiver wire after three games with Washington. He caught five balls for 53 yards on eight targets as an elevation off the practice squad, but after getting signed to the 53-man roster two and a half weeks ago, he only saw one target in the team’s overtime loss to Miami.

Commanders Open Noah Brown’s Practice Window; Latest On Jayden Daniels

November 24th, 2025 at 3:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders remain shorthanded on offense but at least one member of the unit could return this week. Receiver Noah Brown has returned to practice, per a team announcement.

As a result, Brown’s 21-day activation window has been opened. He can be moved from injured reserve to the active roster at any point during that time. The ninth-year receiver has been limited to just two games in 2025 and has been on IR since mid-October.

[RELATED: IR Return Tracker]

A groin injury has left Brown unavailable for much of the current campaign, his second as a member of the Commanders. The former Cowboys seventh-rounder was among the players who followed Dan Quinn from Dallas to Washington last offseason, a move which allowed him to continue operating as a complementary pass-catching presence. Brown totaled 453 yards in 11 games during his first season in the nation’s capital.

A similar showing in 2025 would have come as little surprise, even with the Commanders adding a new receiver starter in the form of Deebo Samuel. Instead, Brown has been sidelined most of the year, making only three scoreless catches to date. The 29-year-old is a pending free agent, so any production down the stretch would be key in his case.

Coming off their bye week, the Commanders are 3-8 on the year. After a surprise run to the NFC title game in 2024, things have regressed to a large extent for Washington. Attention down the stretch will turn in large part to the health of quarterback Jayden Daniels. Last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year is still dealing with the elbow injury he suffered late in the team’s blowout loss to the Seahawks.

Daniels’ non-throwing elbow was injured at that point, leading to Marcus Mariota taking over starting duties. The veteran is in line to make at least one more start for Washington. Quinn said (via The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala) Daniels is set to return to practice this week, but he noted he has not yet been cleared for contact. As a result, Mariota can be expected to handle QB1 duties in Week 13 against the Broncos.

Uncertainty has loomed over Daniels’ recovery timeline. Based on Quinn’s update, though, a return with some time to spare in the season will be a possibility. By the time Washington’s starting quarterback is in play to suit up, a better health situation at the WR spot could also be in store.

2025 Injured Reserve Return Tracker

November 22nd, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2024 offseason brought a change in how teams could construct their 53-man rosters while retaining flexibility with injured players. Clubs were permitted to attach return designations to two players (in total) placed on IR or an NFI list before setting their initial rosters.

In prior years, anyone placed on IR before a team set its initial 53-man roster could not be activated in-season. All August 26 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. Teams will be tasked with determining which players injured in-season will factor into activation puzzles as the year progresses.

All players designated for return on August 26 became eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5, though any player placed on IR after a team set its initial 53 has not been designated for return and therefore does not yet count toward a club’s eight-activation limit. Playoff teams will receive two additional injury activations once the postseason begins.

Here is how the 32 teams’ activation puzzles look for Week 14:

Arizona Cardinals

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Atlanta Falcons

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Baltimore Ravens

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Buffalo Bills

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Carolina Panthers

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Chicago Bears

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Cincinnati Bengals

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Cleveland Browns

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Dallas Cowboys

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 2

Denver Broncos

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Detroit Lions

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Green Bay Packers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Houston Texans

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Indianapolis Colts

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Jacksonville Jaguars

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Kansas City Chiefs

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 6

Las Vegas Raiders

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Los Angeles Chargers

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Los Angeles Rams

Designated for return:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 7

Miami Dolphins

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Minnesota Vikings

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

New England Patriots

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 7

New Orleans Saints

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

New York Giants

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

New York Jets

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Philadelphia Eagles

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Pittsburgh Steelers

Reverted to season-ending IR:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

San Francisco 49ers

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Seattle Seahawks

Eligible for activation:

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 6

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Tennessee Titans

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Washington Commanders

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/20/25

November 20th, 2025 at 7:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Cleveland Browns

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Commanders Could Shut Down QB Jayden Daniels For Season

November 19th, 2025 at 10:05pm CST by Ely Allen

Ten months ago, the Commanders were celebrating an upset win over the Lions in the Divisional Round of the playoffs and preparing to face the Eagles for a chance at a Super Bowl berth all on the arm and legs of a rookie quarterback. Fast forward to today, and Washington’s season has gone anything but according to plan. As second-year passer Jayden Daniels continues to work his way back from his third injury of the season, the surprising position the team finds themselves in could dictate the grounds for his return.

A week ago, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN passed on rumors that the Commanders were preparing for a potential five- to six-week absence for Daniels, despite other reports estimating a mere three weeks of recovery. The potential for a longer than expected recovery combined with a loss to the Dolphins in Madrid had Fowler speculating about a situation in which Daniels doesn’t play again this year.

A week later, that loss to Miami has actualized, and Washington, as a result, now faces a week of reflection and decision-making. Fellow ESPN reporter Dan Graziano noted today that the Commanders will take this Week 12 bye week to “examine everything” and acknowledged that “external debates” have taken place concerning the reasonableness of Daniels not returning this year, but ultimately, he asserted that he’s been told “the plan in Washington is still that Daniels will return to the starting lineup once doctors clear him from his elbow injury.”

While Fowler didn’t dispel the notion of that being the Commanders’ plan, he maintained that his sources have Daniels possibly being back for Week 13, though “the team has loosely braced for an absence of five to six weeks, just in case.” No teams have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet, but if this turns into a six-week absence and the team’s six-game losing streak continues, Washington could find itself well out of playoff contention with three games left on the schedule against division-rivals who could be playing for postseason positioning.

If the Commanders are sitting at 3-11 with games left against the Eagles, Cowboys, and Eagles, again, sending Daniels out with nothing on the line feels borderline irresponsible. Considering that Daniels has sustained three different injuries this year, testing his durability with nothing to play for could obviously do more harm than good. Graziano, though, points out that Daniels is likely advocating to get back on the field and, because this latest injury was not related to his legs or his throwing arm, the team may not be as cautious with their approach to his return.

They’ll have the rest of the week to consider all of this before they have to start game-planning for a Week 13 game against the Broncos. If Daniels is good to for the matchup with Denver, the chances of reinjury may be a bit higher against a defense that has a 15-sack lead on the second-best sack-getting team in the NFL.

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