When you don’t win in the NFL, individual players, even great ones, fly under the radar. There is no more prominent team sport than football and the NFL.
The Washington Commanders went 4-13 last season. None of their players were selected for the Pro Bowl Games, whereas a seven-win Washington team sent five players to the Pro Bowl games one year before.
The Commanders made more changes than any other team in the NFL this offseason. They made front-office changes, coaching changes and new GM Adam Peters turned over half of the roster. It was a reset the Washington roster badly needed.
So, it’s no surprise that as we head into the 2024 NFL season, Washington’s players aren’t receiving national praise.
Pete Prisco of CBS Sports recently named his top 100 NFL players for 2024, and he included no Commanders on the list. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen were included in the honorable mention category.
McLaurin and Allen were routinely included on almost every top 100 list over the past few seasons. Daron Payne was included at times, too. But, if we base this list off last season, no Commanders deserve to be on the top 100 list. McLaurin went over 1,000 yards — barely — and Allen had his worst season. Neither was bad, but they didn’t play up to their previous high standards, something each would acknowledge.
Former Washington defensive end Montez Sweat did crack the list at No. 73 after missing these types of lists over the years. Sweat did set a career-high in sacks last season.
It’s a new season. And you can bet that McLaurin, Allen, or any other Washington player doesn’t care about top 100 lists. Both players have spoken about a renewed energy since Dan Quinn and his staff took over this offseason.
If Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels becomes the player many believe, he’ll be a constant presence on these lists for years to come.