The Washington Commanders are undergoing a major overhaul in more ways than one. They’ve brought in a new coaching staff to take the team in a different direction, hiring former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator and former Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn to pilot the ship into their next phase.
Along with the changes along the coaching staff, the team selected former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels to be their quarterback of the future, taking him with the second pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. They pair Daniels with one of the more consistent wide receivers in the NFL, Terry McLaurin, in hopes of sparking an offense that has been lackluster the past few seasons.
They’ve also traded away former first-round pick Jahan Dotson to the Philadelphia Eagles and signed former Houston Texans wide receiver Noah Brown in an effort to improve the weapons around Daniels and make his transition to the NFL a little easier. It’s a time of change for the Commanders, as well as a time of optimism. But not everything is great with the Commanders, and they’re saddled with a few bad contracts according to one NFL analyst.
Ryan Fowler, NFL analyst for Bleacher Report, recently released his “All-Overpaid” team for the 2024 season, and the Commanders have a whopping three players who made the list. Starting off the list is their offensive tackle, Andrew Wylie, who is playing on a three-year deal worth $24 million. Wylie was an area of concern for the Commanders last season, giving up nine sacks, 42 quarterback pressures, and allowing 27 hurries in 15 starts for the team.
Wylie was the only Commanders player who made the “All-Overpaid” team outright, but Washington did have two players, Jonathan Allen and Emmanuel Forbes, who were deemed “honorable mentions” on Fowler’s list. Allen is on a four-year deal worth $72 million for the team, while Forbes is making $15.4 million over four years.
In reality, none of these contracts are particularly egregious on the Commanders part. Wylie might be the worst of the bunch, but none of the three are making outlandish money for the contributions they’ve made to the squad. Their inclusion on this list is likely more about the situation these players find themselves in more than the deals themselves.
None of these players were taken by the current regime, and the decision-makers have no ties to them. If Wylie, Allen, and Forbes don’t have improved seasons in 2024, one, two, or even all three of them could be out the door before the start of next season.