Commanders Navigate Tough Season by Developing Young Talent While Fighting to Stay Competitive
The Washington Commanders are in a difficult season where the present and future are pulling in different directions.
Injuries, depth issues and growing pains have forced the coaching staff to get creative with their personnel decisions.
Dan Quinn addressed that challenge this week when asked about balancing playing time for young players versus leaning on veterans.
Commanders Look to Develop Young Talent While Staying Competitive
The Commanders are in a spot where they must walk a tightrope. On one hand, they want to stay competitive every week. On the other, their season has required them to rely on young players who need reps to develop. Quinn was open about that challenge and how the staff is trying to manage it the right way.
“Yeah, it is a great question and you are trying to find the balance between both winning now and developing for tomorrow as well. There are some people that I think are making those steps, like Jordan Magee is one that I am feeling that type of step going to the next spot, but you have to be able to try to do both. I was pleased to see Jacoby Jones make a big play in the game last week at receiver. And so, when those moments come and you are helping the guys develop, that is a big deal.”
Quinn went on to explain how practice structure plays a big role in this process. Instead of only running carded scout team looks, Washington builds in opportunities to evaluate younger players in real competition settings. That includes more meaningful reps, third down competitions and moments where less experienced players can show whether they are ready for more responsibility.
Players like linebacker Jordan Magee have already earned Quinn’s trust, and others such as defensive backs Car’lin Vigers and Rob McDaniel are working to earn more chances.
Quinn Uses Practice for Player Development
Quinn emphasized that the Commanders coaching staff has created an environment built to speed up development without sacrificing the team’s competitiveness on Sundays.
“What we also do here is… we spend extra time with the players who do not have as much experience to get them into practices, get the meaningful reps, see them compete. And that is why I like having a full crew to be able to practice and do that. We have expanded our competitions at practice today because we have more people that can do it. So, the trickle down effect of that is more people get those third down competition reps today, a guy like Vigers and McDaniel, those who are literally waiting for their chance to get some more chances. It is a big deal.”
This is important for Washington because, due to injuries and overall roster turnover, the team is relying on young players more than ever. Getting those players up to speed is not just a long term project; it directly affects the Commanders’ ability to compete each week.
Quinn’s challenge is finding that balance between preparing for the future while still pushing to win in the present. And based on the effort put into practice structure and development, Washington seems committed to doing both.
Yankees’ Bad News on Slugger is Surprisingly Familiar
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Feelings of deja vu for the Yankees and Cody Bellinger?
The New York Yankees are in the middle of a lot of offseason rumors. From being the frontrunners to sign Tatsuya Imai, to a possible Devin Williams reunion, and everything in between. This free agency class also boasts several big bats, led by Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger, Kyle Schwarber, Bo Bichette, and Pete Alonso.
Now, New York has gotten an update on one of their top targets. A recent survey of MLB executives paints a grim picture for the chances of a Bellinger reunion with the Yankees.
New York Yankees’ Cody Bellinger Won’t Return
MLB executives were recently surveyed for TSN. MLB analyst Jesse Rogers compiled the survey into an article, and the results could surprise some fans.
For starters, the executives were asked which hitter out of Alex Bregman, Bellinger, Alonso, and Schwarber was most likely to return to their original team.
“What’s most interesting is not who got votes for this question,” Rogers wrote on November 26, 2026. “Schwarber makes sense as the leading answer here — but that not a single person has Bellinger returning to the Yankees. He provided some much-needed balance to their lineup.”
Seven executives voted for Schwarber’s return, four for Alonso’s, and four for Bregman’s.
These results beg a simple question: what do the executives know that everyone else doesn’t?
Yankees Going Through Another Juan Soto Situation?
Earlier in November, it was clear that bringing back Bellinger was a top priority for the Yankees. Greg Joyce of the New York Post reveals that Bellinger fit in well with his teammates in New York.
“The 31-year-old was well-liked in his time with the Yankees,” Joyce wrote on November 10th. “But also has an injury history despite staying mostly healthy the last two seasons. The easiest and cleanest domino to fall to set up the Yankees’ ideal offseason would be for Cody Bellinger to re-sign.”
However, just because someone is well-liked does not mean that player will return to the team. It’s a positive sign, for sure, but it’s not indicative of the choice they will make.
Still, Yankees fans may feel like their spidey senses are tingling, or just a sting of deja vu. Jon Heyman, also of the New York Post, explains why that may be the case.
“The Yankees will have company in their efforts to bring back Cody Bellinger, including from the Mets, who currently have openings at 1B and CF,” Heyman wrote the day after Joyce. “Some may recall the Mets signed a Yankees OF last winter. Re-signing Bellinger is the No. 1 Yankees priority — as re-signing Juan Soto was a year ago.”
Juan Who?
Almost one year ago, Juan Soto signed a massive deal with the New York Mets after spending a year with the Yankees. He opted for a 15-year, $765 million new contract with the other New York team instead of returning after a 41-homerun season.
The reported proposal to Soto, which was on the table from the Yankees, was a 16-year, $760 million contract.
Ouch.
With that information in the back of fans’ minds, it’s no wonder that the possibility of Bellinger not returning leaves a bitter taste in their mouths.
