2024 Washington Commanders Season

The 2024 season was the Washington Commanders' 93rd in the National Football League (NFL). It was the first season under the tandem of general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn, with other coaching staff additions including Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator and Joe Whitt Jr. as defensive coordinator. The team improved their record from 2023 to , marking their first winning regular season since 2016 and highest win total since 1991. The season also featured their first playoff win since 2005 and first NFC Championship Game appearance since 1991, both the longest active droughts in the conference, before losing to the division rival Philadelphia Eagles.

The season was the Commanders' eighth straight having a different quarterback start opening week, with previous starter Sam Howell traded during the offseason. The team held the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft and selected quarterback Jayden Daniels, who set the NFL record for most rushing yards in a season by a rookie quarterback. The season also featured the Hail Maryland, a game-winning Hail Mary pass against the Chicago Bears as time expired from Daniels to wide receiver Noah Brown.

Wide receiver Terry McLaurin, linebackers Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner, and kick returner Austin Ekeler were second-team All-Pro selections. McLaurin set the franchise record for touchdown catches in a season with 13. The team's offense ranked among the franchise's best, tying for the second-most total points in a season with 485.

Season summary

Head coach Ron Rivera was fired following a record in the 2023 season, with team owner Josh Harris employing Bob Myers and Rick Spielman as advisors in search of the next general manager and head coach. San Francisco 49ers assistant general manager Adam Peters was first hired as general manager in January, who hired Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator and former Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn for the same role the following month. The front office saw several changes under Peters, including hiring Detroit Lions executives Lance Newmark and Brandon Sosna respectively as assistant general manager and senior vice president of football operations, longtime NFL executive Dave Gardi as senior vice president of football initiatives, and former Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer as a personnel executive. Other changes included the departure of president Jason Wright and personnel executives Eric Stokes and Chris Polian, with ex-general manager Martin Mayhew reassigned to senior personnel executive and ex-vice president of football and player personnel Marty Hurney becoming an advisor.

Coaching changes included former Texas Tech Red Raiders and Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator, Cowboys secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. as defensive coordinator, and former Seattle Seahawks special teams coordinator Larry Izzo in the same role. Offensive additions included assistant head coach and pass game coordinator Brian Johnson, run game coordinator Anthony Lynn, assistant quarterbacks coach David Blough, tight ends coach David Raih, offensive line coaches Bobby Johnson and Darnell Stapleton, with quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard and wide receivers coach Bobby Engram being the only holdovers. Defensive additions included pass game coordinator Jason Simmons, defensive line coaches Darryl Tapp and Sharrif Floyd, linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr., defensive back coaches Tommy Donatell and William Gay, and senior assistant John Pagano, with assistant linebackers and pass rush specialist coach Ryan Kerrigan being the only holdover.

The team's roster also saw major turnover, with the Commanders having the lowest amount of returning players from 2023 after signing a league-high 26 free agents. The team traded previous season's starting quarterback Sam Howell to the Seattle Seahawks and 2022 first-round wide receiver Jahan Dotson to the Philadelphia Eagles for mid-round draft picks. Notable acquisitions included quarterback Marcus Mariota, running backs Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols, tight end Zach Ertz, wide receivers Olamide Zaccheaus and Noah Brown, guard Nick Allegretti, center Tyler Biadasz, linebackers Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu, defensive ends Dorance Armstrong, Clelin Ferrell and Dante Fowler, cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, safety Jeremy Chinn, special teamer Nick Bellore, long snapper Tyler Ott and kicker Austin Seibert. The Commanders selected quarterback Jayden Daniels in the 2024 draft with the second overall pick, with later selections including defensive tackle Johnny Newton, cornerback Mike Sainristil and offensive tackle Brandon Coleman. Notable undrafted free agents included quarterback Sam Hartman, tight end Colson Yankoff and safety Tyler Owens. At the trade deadline in early November, the Commanders acquired cornerback Marshon Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints in exchange for third-, fourth- and sixth-round picks in the 2025 NFL draft.

The team finished the regular season with a record of , their highest win total since 1991 and the largest improvement by wins over two seasons in team history. The team's offense under Daniels ranked among the franchise best, tying for the second-most total points in a season (485) and ranking top three in rushing and total yards. McLaurin, along with linebackers Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner and kick returner Austin Ekeler, were named second-team All-Pros.

Draft

Pick trades
*Washington traded defensive end Montez Sweat to Chicago in exchange for their second-round selection (40th overall).
*Washington traded quarterback Sam Howell, as well as fourth- and sixth-round selections (102nd and 179th) to Seattle in exchange for their third- and fifth-round selections (78th and 152nd).
*Washington traded their second-, third- and fifth-round selections (40th, 78th and 152nd) to Philadelphia in exchange for two second-round and one fifth-round selection (50th, 53rd and 161st).
*Washington traded defensive end Chase Young to San Francisco in exchange for their third-round compensatory selection (100th).

Staff

Final roster

Standings

Division

Conference

Schedule

Preseason

Regular season

Game summaries

=Week 1: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Wide receiver Terry McLaurin, defensive end Clelin Ferrell and safety Jeremy Reaves served as game captains. Rookie quarterback (QB) Jayden Daniels scored two goal line rushing touchdowns and gained 272 total yards, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 80 yards with two touchdowns in his debut. The teams would meet again in the Wild Card playoff.

=Week 2: vs. New York Giants

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Center Tyler Biadasz, linebacker Frankie Luvu and safety Percy Butler served as game captains. Kicker Austin Seibert, who replaced Cade York earlier in the week, was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after accounting for all of the team's points with a franchise-record seven field goals. The game marked Washington's first win without scoring a touchdown since 2009.

=Week 3: at Cincinnati Bengals

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On ''Monday Night Football'', wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, linebacker Bobby Wagner and punter Tress Way served as game captains. Quarterback Jayden Daniels set an NFL rookie and Commanders team record with a 91.3% completion percentage on 23 attempts along with 293 total yards and three touchdowns, including his first one passing. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance, being the first Commanders player to earn it since Adrian Peterson in 2018. It was the Commanders' second consecutive game scoring on every drive, the first NFL team to do so since 2000, and the first game without any turnovers or punts by either team since 1940. Trent Scott also became the team's first offensive lineman to catch a touchdown pass since Joe Jacoby in 1984.

=Week 4: at Arizona Cardinals

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Running back Jeremy McNichols, guard Nick Allegretti and safety Quan Martin served as game captains. 42 points were the most the Commanders had scored in a game since 2016 and was the first time scoring 38 or more in consecutive games since 1991. QB Jayden Daniels set a record for having the highest completion percentage (82.1) over a four game span in NFL history and became the first to complete at least 85 percent of his passes in consecutive games. Daniels was also named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for September, being the first player for the team to win it since Robert Griffin III in 2012. With 15 tackles, linebacker Bobby Wagner moved into fourth place on the career tackles list.

=Week 5: vs. Cleveland Browns

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Quarterback Jayden Daniels, defensive end Dorance Armstrong and safety Jeremy Chinn served as game captains. The Commanders became the first NFL team since 1970 to score at least 150 points in their first five games with a rookie quarterback, with Jayden Daniels being the first to pass for more than 1,000 yards and rush for more than 250 during the same span. It was also their first time winning two consecutive games by at least 20 points since 1997, their first time scoring at least 30 points in three consecutive games since 2015 and their first time scoring three rushing touchdowns in three consecutive games in franchise history. Linebacker Frankie Luvu had 7 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery, with the defense having seven total sacks of Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.

=Week 6: at Baltimore Ravens

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Tackle Andrew Wylie, defensive tackle Daron Payne and long snapper Tyler Ott served as game captains. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin caught two touchdowns, marking the first time in his career recording four touchdowns within four games. Rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil recorded his first career interception off Lamar Jackson, giving the Commanders their first of the season.

=Week 7: vs. Carolina Panthers

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Guard Sam Cosmi and linebackers Frankie Luvu and Nick Bellore served as game captains. The Commanders surpassed their win total of 4 from 2023 with a 40–7 win over the Carolina Panthers, their largest margin of victory since 2015. Defensive end Dante Fowler returned an Andy Dalton interception 67 yards for a touchdown on the opening drive, the team's first defensive score of the season. Quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a rib cartilage injury on his first drive and left the game, with backup Marcus Mariota going for 205 yards and two touchdowns. The game also served as alumni homecoming, with Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Darrell Green, who spent his entire 20-year career with Washington, having his No. 28 jersey retired at halftime.

=Week 8: vs. Chicago Bears

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Guard Nick Allegretti, and safeties Jeremy Chinn and Jeremy Reaves served as game captains. The game featured a play at the end of the game known as the Hail Maryland in which Jayden Daniels threw a 52-yard Hail Mary pass as time expired to wide receiver Noah Brown to win 18–15. The game also saw the Commanders record consecutive first half shutouts for the first time since 1997.

=Week 9: at New York Giants

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Wide receiver Noah Brown, safety Quan Martin and tight end John Bates served as game captains. With the win, the Commanders swept the Giants for the first time since 2021. The Giants entered the game leading the NFL in quarterback sacks but failed to record any for the first time in the season. The win would also be Dan Quinn's 50th in his head coaching career.

=Week 10: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

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Wide receiver Terry McLaurin, linebacker Bobby Wagner and safety Percy Butler served as game captains. Zach Ertz surpassed Greg Olsen for sixth place in career tight end receptions while McLaurin surpassed Jerry Smith for sixth place in franchise receptions. Defensive end Dante Fowler had his second consecutive game with two sacks, becoming the first Washington player to record multiple sacks in consecutive games since Ryan Kerrigan in 2017.

=Week 11: at Philadelphia Eagles

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Played on ''Thursday Night Football'', tight end Zach Ertz, cornerback Mike Sainristil and running back Jeremy McNichols served as game captains. Linebacker Frankie Luvu recorded two sacks for the second time in the season while wide receiver Terry McLaurin surpassed 6,000 career receiving yards, becoming the sixth player in franchise history to do so.

=Week 12: vs. Dallas Cowboys

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Center Tyler Biadasz, defense end Dante Fowler and cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, who all played with the Cowboys in 2023, served as game captains. The Commanders blocked a field goal and punt in the same game for the first time since 1977. A total of 41 points were scored in the fourth quarter, including two kickoff return touchdowns by the Cowboys and an 86-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Terry McLaurin in the final seconds, the longest of his career, before kicker Austin Seibert missed the extra point to potentially tie it. During the game, McLaurin surpassed former tight end Chris Cooley for fifth-most career receptions in team history.

=Week 13: vs. Tennessee Titans

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Quarterback Marcus Mariota, defensive tackle Sheldon Day and punter Tress Way served as game captains. In scoring 42 points, the Commanders matched a season high and
marked their first time since 1991 to score over 40 points in three or more games in a season. The Commanders had 267 total rushing yards, their most since 2012, with the game being their first December home win since 2017. Quarterback Jayden Daniels became the first rookie in NFL history to complete 80 percent of his passes, throw three touchdowns and run for a touchdown in a single game, was the first quarterback for the team to record three passing touchdowns with a rushing touchdown since 2015, and also became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw for two touchdowns and rush for one in consecutive games since 1970. Running back Brian Robinson Jr.'s 40 yard touchdown run set a career high and was also the longest rush by the team since 2019. Linebacker Bobby Wagner surpassed 100 tackles for the season, extending his streak of doing so to 13 consecutive seasons. Cornerback Mike Sainristil forced and recovered a fumble, both career firsts, becoming the third rookie in team history to have done so in a single game.

=Week 15: at New Orleans Saints

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Offensive tackles Trent Scott and Cornelius Lucas and defensive tackle Johnny Newton served as game captains. With the win, Washington had their first winning season since 2016. Terry McLaurin became the first wide receiver for the team to record 10 or more touchdowns in a season since Gary Clark in 1992. Quarterback Jayden Daniels became the third rookie in NFL history to pass for over 3,000 yards and rush for over 600 yards in a season as well as the fifth player and first rookie to have four games with completion percentage of at least 80% in a season. Daniels was also sacked eight times, a season-high.

Near the end of the fourth quarter, Saints tight end Foster Moreau was tackled near the goal line and side judge Jim Quirk signaled for the game clock to stop with nine seconds remaining before it restarted after approximately four seconds. The stoppage allowed for the Saints to spike the ball with three seconds remaining, with Moreau scoring a touchdown on the following play as time expired before an unsuccessful two-point conversion to win the game was attempted. Referee Shawn Hochuli stated after the game that the mistake was not reviewable.

=Week 16: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

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Wide receiver Terry McLaurin, linebacker Bobby Wagner and safety Jeremy Reaves served as game captains. The Commanders won despite 5 turnovers (three fumbles and two interceptions) for the first time since 2002, marking their first season with double-digit wins since 2012. Jayden Daniels was the first Washington quarterback since Mark Rypien in 1991 and the sixth rookie in NFL history to throw five touchdowns in a game. He also surpassed Robert Griffin III's franchise rookie record for passing and total yards in a season.

McLaurin tied the franchise record for reception touchdowns in a season with 12, last done by Ricky Sanders in 1988, and surpassed 1,000 yards for the fifth consecutive season, also a franchise record. Wide receivers Jamison Crowder and Olamide Zaccheaus both caught two touchdowns, marking the first time Washington had two players record multiple touchdown receptions in a single game since 1999. Rookie wide receiver Luke McCaffrey recorded 180 return yards on kickoffs, the most by a Washington player since Brandon Banks in 2010. The win also gave Dan Quinn the most in a season for a first year head coach in franchise history.

=Week 17: vs. Atlanta Falcons

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Played on ''Sunday Night Football'', quarterback Jayden Daniels and linebackers Frankie Luvu and Nick Bellore served as game captains. The Commanders would see their first overtime win since 2014 and first playoff berth since 2020. Daniels had his first career 100-yard rushing game and set the NFL record for most rushing yards in a season by a rookie quarterback. He also became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least two touchdowns and 200 yards with 65 rushing yards in three consecutive games. The win also gave Adam Peters the most in a season for a first year general manager in franchise history.

=Week 18: at Dallas Cowboys

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Tight end Zach Ertz, defensive end Dorance Armstrong and safety Percy Butler served as game captains. Quarterback Jayden Daniels would sit in the second half of the game due to leg soreness, with backup Marcus Mariota rushing for a touchdown and throwing a game-winning pass to wide receiver Terry McLaurin with two seconds left. The touchdown catch gave McLaurin 13 for the season, a team record.

Postseason

Game summaries

=Wild Card Playoffs: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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The sixth- seeded Commanders visited the third-seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. The Commanders won their first playoff game since 2005 (coincidentally also against the Buccaneers) off a successful field goal by Zane Gonzalez as time expired, ending a four-game postseason losing streak and the league's third-longest active drought (after Miami and Las Vegas). It was the team's first time recording zero punts in a playoff game since 1945, with Dan Quinn joining Dutch Bergman as the only head coaches in franchise history to win a playoff game in their first season with the team. Quarterback Jayden Daniels threw for two touchdowns and became the fourth rookie quarterback and first since 2012 to win a road playoff game.

=Divisional Playoffs: at Detroit Lions

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The Commanders defeated the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round. With the win, the Commanders advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991.

=NFC Championship: at Philadelphia Eagles

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The Commanders visited the No. 2 seed Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. This marked the second postseason meeting all-time between the division rivals and the first since 1990.

References

External links

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{{2024 NFL season by team

Washington Commanders
Washington
Washington Commanders seasons