The Washington Commanders had the least memorable 7-10 season in National Football League history last season.
In fairness, it was one of only three 7-10 seasons in NFL history, and the other two also came from last season, but the point still stands. Washington’s defense disappointingly failed to live up to its Super Bowl-caliber expectations and was one of the worst units in the league, and the offense was even worse.
Ryan Fitzpatrick was lost in week one, and backup Taylor Heinicke, despite his competitive fire and “gamerism,” is simply not a franchise quarterback. Reports have begun swirling that Washington is interested in upgrading their QB position by bringing one of Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, or… Mitchell Trubisky.
Washington Commanders Quarterback Carousel
Washington has not had a steady starting quarterback since Kirk Cousins, and even he was not the first choice— that was Robert Griffin III, who won Rookie of the Year in his first season but was constantly injured and eventually forced out of D.C.
In the past four seasons alone, the Football Team/Commanders/other name has tried out Fitzpatrick, Heinicke, Garrett Gilbert, Alex Smith, Dwayne Haskins, Kyle Allen, Case Keenum, Colt McCoy, Josh Johnson, and Mark Sanchez, and somehow, none of them managed to stick.
The NFL has become an offense-driven league with offensive gurus making some of the most prominent head coaches. What Ron Rivera, a defensive expert, has not been able to do during his tenure is land a solid pass-thrower, which has held the team back drastically.
Help is on the Way
Aaron Rodgers just finished throwing up— sorry, Aaron Rodgers just won back-to-back Most Valuable Player awards while leading the Green Bay Packers to three-straight 13-win seasons. His vaccination deception and off-field behavior is one issue, but he has been as electric as ever on the field; it is hard to see him suiting up in burgundy and gold, but the dissension between him and the front office could be enough to lead him to seek a trade, and Washington would be as interested in obtaining a big name as anybody.
Russell Wilson might not quite be the player that Rodgers is, and he may have declined slightly in the past couple of seasons, but he is one of the game’s elite and a true winner. Wilson also has near-flawless intangibles and would have no problems stepping in to lead a team from day one. One of his favorite targets in Seattle was Tyler Lockett, and Washington’s Terry McLaurin is a near replica at wideout.
Then comes Mitchell Trubisky, a former second-overall pick that was selected ahead of Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. Trubisky became a bit of a meme as a Chicago Bear, even though he made the 2018 Pro Bowl, and served last year as Josh Allen’s backup in Buffalo. Washington is reportedly interested in acquiring Trubisky’s services and giving him another chance to be a starter if they cannot land one of their two priority targets.
The real question is, are any of these three going to put Washington in a better long-term position than drafting a quarterback in one of the upcoming drafts? That remains to be seen, but of the options on the table, it seems like Wilson is the best fit.
Sadly for Washington fans, if Daniel Snyder ends up bringing in Trubisky, or someone of his ilk, it will not be anything out of the ordinary; the surprise would be their team making an informed decision. Members of the DMV community should try their best not to get their hopes up.
