The Washington Commanders’ nightmare 2025 season has finally come to an end, and they finish it off with a road win against the Philadelphia Eagles.

This was an ugly game on so many levels, but both teams had something to play for. The Eagles were fighting for the two seed in the playoffs, despite resting almost all of their starters, and the Commanders had their NFL Draft position on the line.

Everything was going their way to get a top-5 pick until they beat the Eagles and fell to the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which could drastically change everything.

Commanders’ win could backfire in the NFL Draft

The New York Giants and the Cleveland Browns both won improbable games in the early slate on Sunday, paving the path for the Commanders to get the No. 5 overall pick in the draft. The Commanders ended up scoring late in the game to get a 24-17 win to finish the season at 5-12, and now they have the No. 7 overall pick instead.

Now that the order is set, it’s time to get to work for general manager Adam Peters. They can’t afford to miss on whatever they decide to do with the no. 7 overall pick, whether it’s selecting a player, trading that pick for another player, or in a trade-back scenario. The difference between the No. 5 overall pick and the No. 7 overall pick could be drafting a player like Caleb Downs or Rueben Bain Jr, or having to select someone else because they go off the board before the Commanders’ pick.

The Commanders also only have six picks as of right now, but that could also change before April. There’s also a ton of work to do before then, with a lot of changes expected on the coaching staff as the first task to take care of, which could also change the pick.

Is it actually a culture win?

Everyone will call this a culture win, but the truth is that this team has the most free agents this offseason, and a lot of them shouldn’t come back. A lot of the current coaches could be on their way out as well, starting as soon as tomorrow. Will this win actually fix anything for the 2026 season? Highly unlikely. That’s a whole new season, with a lot of new faces. The important part is fixing the real culture, which is the coaching staff and the players in the locker room.

The Commanders’ offseason starts now

Monday will be one of the most anticipated holidays in the NFL, with Black Monday taking place to mark the real end of the regular season. Multiple teams around the league will scramble to make drastic changes to their coaching staff and try to get their teams fixed in the offseason. The Commanders are expected to be one of those teams with major changes coming.

Though reports say that head coach Dan Quinn is safe this offseason, he will certainly be on the hot seat for 2026, and he also has to nail this offseason. Reports also say that a change at defensive coordinator is expected to take place, which is the biggest need on the coaching staff, and Quinn needs to get this right, not just a safe plan that backfires.

There also remains a lot of uncertainty with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and his future with the Commanders, with a breakup possibly on the horizon. These changes can change the scheme and the philosophy of both sides on the ball, which heavily impacts the roster changes in the offseason with free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft. One thing we do know for certain is that the Commanders will have the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Washington Commanders News

The Commanders’ scouts got a close look at a huge favorite to be their selection in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft

The Commanders were at the Oregon and Texas Tech game, and got a good look at David Baily, who is a big favorite to be drafted by Washington in the first round.

Josh Taylor