The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.
The Washington Commanders' season will end in Philadelphia against the Eagles on Jan. 4, and they're about to enter the offseason with a long to-do list.
The Commanders are aspiring to recapture the progress they made in 2024, when they advanced to the NFC Championship in head coach Dan Quinn's first season with the team. They'll need to upgrade their personnel to do so, and there will be plenty of resources in the future between their top 10 first-round pick and some of the most expected available cap space in the NFL.
Washington will also need some of their younger players to develop. They have already seen some of that in the second half of the season, and there will be another opportunity in the season finale. Here are three players who could be featured more against the Eagles this weekend.
1. Johnny Newton
Newton had one of his best games as a Commander during the team's Christmas Day game against the Dallas Cowboys, putting up three sacks, five quarterback hits and nine tackles. It was the first multi-sack game of his career, and he was the first player in franchise history to record at least 3.0 sacks in a single game since Preston Smith in Week 16 of 2015.
"I thought he was disruptive, wreaked some havoc in his space to go," Quinn said.
Newton played in 56 defensive snaps -- a career-high -- mostly because of Daron Payne being ruled out with a back injury. However, Newton was viewed as one of the best defensive linemen in the 2024 draft class because of his abilities as an interior pass-rusher. Newton's development has been disrupted at times because of the various injuries he sustained before and during his rookie season, but his performance last week, which received the sixth-best pass-rushing grade among defensive tackles, could be a sign that he's starting to get more comfortable in the professional game.
Philadelphia's offensive line, which is still one of the best groups in the league despite dealing with multiple injuries, should be a good test for Newton to close out the year.
2. Ben Sinnott
Fans have been waiting for Sinnott to be utilized more often in the passing game, and they finally got a glimpse of it against the Cowboys. He made three catches on four targets -- both career highs -- for 29 yards, giving him a career catch rate of 87.5%.
The expectation was for Sinnott to get more playing time with Zach Ertz on Injured Reserve, and that has been the case over the last three weeks. He's played in over half of the snaps in each of the last three games, including 61.4% against the Cowboys on Christmas. Sinnott has improved as a blocker since his rookie season, and there was an example of that during Deebo Samuel's 29-yard run in the second quarter.
But Sinnott was evaluated as an all-around tight end during the draft process, and there haven't been many opportunities to show his skill set as a pass-catcher. Some of that is out of his control. There were only 22 combined completions for Washington in Weeks 15 and 16, which means there weren't many opportunities for Sinnott to get targets.
It's unknown at this point how the Commanders' offense will approach their second matchup against the Eagles, but the hope is that the unit will put together longer drives, which could lead to Sinnott getting more targets.
Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders during their Week 17 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.
3. Treylon Burks
Burks' career with the Tennessee Titans was upended by injuries, which ultimately led to him being released earlier this season. The Commanders were one of the teams that showed interest in the 2022 first-rounder, partially out of need for help at receiver but also because of Burks' potential.
Burks only has eight receptions this season, but his talent has flashed at various points over the past seven games. He had what is regarded as one of the best catches of the season against the Denver Broncos, but he's also shown an ability to make contested grabs and use his 225-pound frame to his advantage. He's also been a strong blocker on the outside and been willing to take on whatever role the Commanders have assigned him.
Burks doesn't have a guaranteed spot on the roster in 2026, but he is trying to earn a chance to compete next season. Another solid day against the Eagles could be enough to guarantee he'll be in training camp next August, and if he manages to become a regular fixture of the offense, it would solve some of the Commanders' problems with wide receiver depth.
