Washington

After years of unrest, Commanders have reinvented their culture and shattered expectations

Published

1 year ago

November 14, 2024

After years of unrest, Commanders have reinvented their culture and shattered expectations

Sam Cosmi took it upon himself to deliver the message. His Washington Commanders teammates needed to hear what the right guard had to say in the locker room following the team’s 28-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

“I wanted them to know that to not let this snowball effect into next week,” Cosmi said. “I wanted them to know what we have here is still special. Like no matter what, we still keep fighting. I wanted them to know this should hurt. This should hurt your core. This means a lot to us.”

Cosmi played during the Ron Rivera era of the Commanders – four years of dismal on-field results and mounting off-field scandals that were linked not to the team but rather former owner Dan Snyder. But Josh Harris and his partners purchased the team last summer. Adam Peters was hired to take control of football operations, and Dan Quinn has thrived in his second chance as a coach in the NFL. The Commanders are 7-3 and face the Philadelphia Eagles (7-2) on “Thursday Night Football” with the NFC East lead on the line.

With the looming short week, Cosmi’s allocution set the tone of moving on from a loss in which the Commanders blew a 10-point lead at home. The fourth-year offensive lineman also, perhaps without realizing it, offered his own assessment of the transformation of an entire franchise – and the heightened expectations that come with doing so.

“What Dan Quinn has done, what Adam Peters has done, is change the culture,” Cosmi told reporters. “We don’t have the most talented team, but we have a hard-working team.

“Winning is the ultimate goal. And like I know from the past, this means a lot, not only to me, but to everybody. So just to keep their heads up and keep fighting, and let’s get ready to beat Philly.”

Accelerated expectations

Before the loss to Pittsburgh, Washington had not started a season 7-2 in 28 years. Although the lower bowl of Northwest Stadium was filled with yellow “Terrible Towels,” the Commanders say they have sold out every home game this season and had a 90% renewal rate on season tickets, according to the Washington Post. Gate receipts are up 20%, and the team has signed 29 new sponsorship deals in the past year.

Having the presumptive Offensive Rookie of the Year in quarterback Jayden Daniels, the No. 2 pick and reigning Heisman Trophy winner, sped up the turnaround. But the organizational infrastructure, offensive line and coaching provided to the 23-year-old has made his transition to the NFL smoother, although Daniels has nursed a rib injury since Week 7.

There is also fan excitement – from the viral clip of a fan pre-celebrating the Hail Mary victory against the Chicago Bears in October to players and coaches saying they can actually feel energy from the home crowd.

Daniels’ historic start cooled down in a Week 6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Washington showed it could hang with a team that has an “entrenched” identity, as Quinn said. The next day, Quinn was asked whether winning the NFC East had become the expectation for the team. The coach said the team rarely discussed expectations, but that it was a goal mentioned at the beginning of the season.

“We don’t try to get jammed up on expectations or things that are down the line or any of that,” Quinn said. “We just try to dig right into this week and say, ‘This is, you know, we’re based on improvement.’ It’s like a lifestyle we live here, man. Can you get better? Can you dig in further? Can you get to that spot? And so that’s kind of the stressor that we go and not on outside expectations.

“I recognize the question about the division because it is really important to talk about that, but you don’t really talk about those until you talk about the division games when you’re playing in them.”

Washington is 2-0 in NFC East games this year, both victories against the New York Giants. Four of their final eight games are against either the Eagles or Dallas Cowboys.

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Culture is key to rapid turnaround

The Commanders finished last in the division during Rivera’s final two seasons and cratered at 4-13 in 2023. A coaching search yielded Quinn, the former Atlanta Falcons head coach who had spent the previous three seasons leading the Cowboys’ defense.

“I didn’t really understand culture. I haven’t been a part of a ‘good culture,’” Cosmi said. “This year, I’m slowly but surely – I see it. It’s really cool to see and be a part of. Talking and acting on it. So I’m excited about that.”

Five years ago, then-general manager Bruce Allen said the “culture is actually damn good” in Washington, and the remark became a punchline.

At the trade deadline last year, Rivera was pushed to sell off defensive line pieces Montez Sweat and Chase Young, both former first-round picks of the organization. A year later, Peters found himself buying at the deadline and acquired former New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore, whose Commanders debut will have to wait at least another week as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.

“I don’t necessarily look at it as being a buyer or a seller,” said Peters, who had $96 million in cap space to work with this offseason and signed respected veterans (who have also been contributors) such as tight end Zach Ertz, running back Austin Ekeler, linebacker Frankie Luvu and linebacker Bobby Wagner. “I think just trying to do the best I can to help this team be as good as it can.”

Quinn defines culture as “how a group lives their life together.” For him, it’s in the standards – effort and physicality, for example – he has set.

“The things that we want to play with,” Quinn said after Washington’s 3-1 start. “Has it been all perfect? Hell no. But there is (sic) a lot of things that show how far people are in for one another. And those kinds of things go a long way to helping that identity come to shape.

“But it takes a while to fully go through that, and every time we’re playing, you just see that over and over. So yeah, we’re building that, but by no means in four games are we where we’re going to be two months from now.”

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Washington

Report: Arizona football to hire Washington’s Aaron Knotts as general manager

Published

3 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Report: Arizona football to hire Washington’s Aaron Knotts as general manager

Arizona is closing in on its next general manager.

The UA is set to hire Aaron Knotts as GM, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Knotts has spent the last 12 years at Washington, where he most recently served as Director of Internal Operations and Football Strategy. Knotts previously worked as Chief of Staff and Associate Athletic Director at UW.

As general manager, Knotts will be tasked with managing Arizona’s roster through player retention, the transfer portal and high school recruiting.

Arizona’s front office is undergoing a shakeup after former GM Gaizka Crowley left for the same position at Arkansas. Crowley and Director of Scouting Fletcher Kelly played a big role in building Arizona’s roster in the first two years under Brent Brennan. Kelly is expected to follow Crowley to Arkansas, according to Jason Scheer of Wildcat Authority.

Knotts began his coaching career as a tight ends coach at Division III Centre College (Ky.) before joining Chris Petersen’s staff at UW in the fall of 2014. Prior to working in operations and administration, Knotts served in various recruiting and personnel roles at UW.

Knotts was promoted to Associate Athletic Director/Chief of Staff in 2024. In his role as Associate Athletic Director, Knotts part of a three-person search committee for UW’s head football coach in 2024, which resulted in the Huskies hiring Jedd Fisch from Arizona.

Now Knotts in departing Fisch’s UW program to run Arizona’s front office.

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Washington

Washington Capitals 2025-26 W Magazine Now Available | Washington Capitals

Published

2 days ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Washington Capitals 2025-26 W Magazine Now Available | Washington Capitals

Arlington, Va. – W Magazine, a lifestyle publication produced by the Washington Capitals, is now available for purchase online at www.washcaps.com/wmagazine and at the Team Store at Capital One Arena and at the Team Store at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. The fan-favorite magazine, which features content surrounding every Capitals player along with hundreds of personal, never-before-seen family photos, is available for $8 plus shipping. In addition, season ticket members will receive a complimentary issue, with copies for season ticket members available at the Planholder Hub on the 100-level concourse during Capitals home games.

The cover story, written by Capitals senior writer Mike Vogel, goes in-depth with forward Pierre-Luc Dubois. Vogel speaks with Dubois, his teammates and family members for an extensive feature on the phone call that changed Dubois’ life and shaped his future with the Capitals franchise. Spanning more than 200 pages, W offers exclusive photography of Capitals players and their families, along with lifestyle content and interviews with every member of the 2025-26 roster. Highlights include:

John Carlson on fishing in Maryland with his sons
Brandon Duhaime on spearfishing and his related YouTube channel
Ryan Leonard on moving to D.C. and living with the Dubois family
Charlie Lindgren on his first offseason as a dad
Alex Ovechkin on celebrating back home after becoming the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer
Logan Thompson on his love of dogs
Trevor van Riemsdyk on pop-a-shot and pickleball

The magazine also features an in-depth look at the Capital One Arena transformation project, including exclusive photos, insights into future phases and Capitals player reactions to the new Capitals locker room complex. A special interview with Monumental Sports Network’s Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin reflects on the historic 50th anniversary season, while a day-in-the-life piece with Caps Radio’s John Walton and Katie Florio brings readers behind-the-scenes of a home game radio broadcast.

Additional features include a look at a regular day for former Capitals service dog in training Biscuit – now a facility dog at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center – and a photographic recap of Alex Ovechkin’s historic 2024-25 season. A new “Beyond the Boards” section spotlights community stories, while the fan-favorite “Short Shifts” section returns with Capitals players sharing thoughts on topics such as the best singer on the team, funniest teammate, personal goals beyond hockey, what everyone should try at least once, their ideal entrance theme song and more.

The magazine also profiles members of the Capitals Black Hockey Committee and introduces fans to the team driving the organization’s youth hockey initiatives.

W design services were provided by Matt Ryan. Player photography was provided by Greg Powers with assistance from Damon Banks. The cover featuring Pierre-Luc Dubois was photographed on the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., with the assistance of captains and crew from City Cruises. Players were photographed for the publication at Origin in Arlington, Va.

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Washington

Ginger’s Journey: Walking from Washington State to Washington, D.C.

Published

2 days ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

Ginger’s Journey: Walking from Washington State to Washington, D.C.

Imagine setting out, on foot, for a journey not knowing how long it would take. Now imagine doing it with two animals as traveling partners from Washington State to Washington, D.C.

“Now I’ve started this leg of the journey in Morton, Washington where I was spiritually requested to go to Washington, D.C. and sing the song ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon on the Capitol steps,” says Jacob Holiday.

Jacob Holiday is on his way across America so he can sing a song he says signifies peace in the hopes, he says, of ending violence everywhere.

“I want so much peace. Cops would no longer carry firearms. We’re going to send the militaries of every country, I don’t care which one you’re talking about but every country, home to go to sleep. I don’t care what they do. But I want all this violence, everything, all this violence to stop.”

He has two wagons and his traveling companions are a dog and a goat. Holiday started in Washington State in July and he’s not worried about how long his hike across America will take.

His multi-state trek has seen him encounter a lot along the way, including a run-in with a bear.

He carries food for himself and his dog and his goat on carts that he says weigh a couple hundred pounds. Besides necessities, Holiday has one thing he’d greatly appreciate receive being able to buy as he continues his mission.

Holiday says he knows his mission isn’t an easy one, and he uses it as a metaphor for life as a whole.

We caught up with Holiday in the early part of November on a 70-degree day in Cambridge, Nebraska then spoke to him again a few days later in the rain as he headed east on Highways 6 and 34, so no telling how far he’s gotten now.

After we met with Holiday, we did notify the local sheriff to perform a welfare check, but we’re told Holiday wanted to continue his walk with his Capitol Steps goal still ahead of him. We also offered him food for himself and his animals, which he declined saying he had enough food on his carts.

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