With Jeff Stoutland’s exit, continuing roster depletion & scant cap flexibility, Philly’s ‘window of success’ may be about to slam shut

Commanders links

Articles

NFL.com

Commanders LB Bobby Wagner named 2025 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year!!

Wagner’s a Southern California native who has endeared himself to fans in D.C. over the past two seasons and Seattle, having played 11 seasons and won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks franchise. Though recognized on Thursday night, Wagner’s philanthropy and history of giving back to the community has been a hallmark of his decorated career. Over his career, Wagner has been nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year four times.

Viewed as the NFL’s most esteemed honor, the NFL Man of the Year award debuted in 1970, with iconic Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas winning. The award recognizes an NFL player for his outstanding community service along with excellence distinction on the playing field. In 1977, Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton was the recipient. The award was renamed in the Hall of Famer’s honor in 1999, the same year the revered Payton died at 46 due to bile duct cancer.

The winner of the award receives up to a $250,000 donation to the charity of his choice, while each of the 32 club nominees receives up to a $40,000 donation to his chosen charity.

Wagner is the first Washington player christened NFL Man of the Year since Hall of Famer Darrell Green in 1996.

On Thursday night, the centerpiece of so many defenses through the years took center stage as a deserving champion of the NFL — right along with mom.

“She’s not able to be here, but she lives through me, and everything I do is for her, and I honor her every chance that I get,” Wagner said. “Her love and support is the reason why I’m standing here, and I wouldn’t be here without her. So, again, every time y’all see my face, every time y’all see me do something, y’all consider us cool or dope, just know that it’s her — and I’m in the flesh. She’s not here right now, but she’s here through me. And so, there’s no way that I can accept this award without saying you are really thanking her. So, thank you guys.”

Commanders.com

Wagner leads through consistency and genuine care, using his own actions to set the standard. He invests his time directly in community , volunteering at shelters, supporting holiday programs, and providing meals and essential supplies to underserved families. His humility and relentless work ethic continue to inspire everyone around him, and his commitment to giving back has become a defining part of who he is, both on and off the field.

“Fourteen years into his career, Bobby continues to set the standard, both as a player and a person,” said Commanders Head Coach Dan Quinn. “What truly sets Bobby apart is the way he leads by example and inspires the people around him. The care he puts int o his community work reflects the same dedication he brings to football, and it’s why he is such an important presence in our locker room, in our community, and in our league.”

Commanders Roundtable

QB Jayden Daniels reacts to “tough” Commanders coordinator change

For the first time since his transfer from Arizona State to LSU ahead of the 2022 season, Daniels will now battle through a change at offensive coordinator after watching Kliff Kingsbury depart days after the end of the regular season. The news came fresh after Daniels endorsed Kingsbury for a third season, while his mom took to social media right after the week 18 road win vs. Philadelphia to express confidence in the former Commanders coordinator.

Daniels acknowledged the move is “tough” before looking ahead to the familiarity he has with his replacement.

“I have a relationship with him and I wish him nothing but the best, but I’m also excited to get to work with [David] Blough and what he can do. I’ve been with Blough for both my years in the NFL, so I’m most definitely excited about that,” Daniels said.

The relationship between Blough and Daniels may not be as documented, but it was one that was forged well before Kingsbury’s departure even became a realistic possibility. The two have established a routine every Friday before practice where they play PIG, the football version of HORSE, where they joke around as Daniels teased “when I win, I kind of win in an emphatic, disrespectful way.”

Daniels noted that experience gives him a building block as Blough looks to “throw his own flavor on there.”

“Obviously he’s been around Kliff for two years so what he’s learned from Kliff is probably some stuff he’s going to integrate in the offense. He’s been around Ben Johnson. He’s been around a lot of guys. We talked about it. He’s very – I’ve been very vocal like [about] stuff I want to do. He’s been open. He tells me all the time we want to build this offense for you, so that’s kind of what a quarterback wants to hear,” Daniels said.

“I’m super excited for him to get his opportunity. I know what he can do. I know the work that he puts in because me and him sat up there constantly had conversations.”

Riggo’s Rag

Daronte Jones sends a stern message his Commanders players need to hear

He’s already called on his players to approach things the right way. They need to be tough, both inside and out, to cope with what’s coming their way. If they pass these challenges, everything will become easier on game days.

“It starts with attitude in your approach and at the end of the day this is a violent sport. You have to approach it that way. You have to be mentally tough, physically tough and emotionally tough. Everything that comes with this sport is about toughness. We want to put that into our guys so that they know they have to win a one-on-one battle.”Daronte Jones via Commanders.com

Joe Whitt Jr. talked a good game, too. There was very little substance attached, and he ran out of ideas and motivational techniques. Coupled with his lack of defensive adjustments, it was no surprise to see him canned.

Already, this feels different. Players should see this as a stern warning of what to expect from the moment Jones puts them on the practice field. It will be tough. It will be grueling. But it will benefit them greatly if they fully buy into his way of thinking.

Jones has surged his way up from a high school coach through the college ranks and into the pros to get this massive opportunity. He isn’t planning to waste, and he won’t deviate from the principles that got him this far.

Commanders.com

3 offensive draft prospects Washington could target

Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt

Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 235
2025 stats: 62 receptions, 769 yards, 4 TDs

Smoot: “He looks, to me, like a tall receiver. When I watch him play, he looks like Kyle PItts looked when he was at Florida. He has that wide receiver, wiry build. And you feel like where you’re drafting him at, you’re getting more value for Eli Stowers than you are for Sadiq drafting him in the first round. “

Paulsen: “I think he’s got real, real true skills. I was talking to the guy who’s doing him combine prep, and he had a 43-inch vertical right out of the season. He’s a track guy. So, he can run. I think he’s probably going to run a high 4.4 or low 4.5. The dude can scoot. There’s a couple of plays from 2024 where he’s catching the football, and…you say, ‘That’s the best athlete on the field.’

Commanders.com

Need vs. best player available? Logan Paulsen calls the debate ‘annoying’

“It’s one of the most annoying questions in this process,” Paulsen said on the team’s “Drive to the Draft” podcast.

Each side of the argument seems to have a valid point. Those who want to draft the best player available want to stack their roster with playmakers and maximize the quality of their roster. On the other hand, drafting for need allows teams to address glaring weaknesses in the roster and provides opportunities for immediate improvement.

Paulsen, however, believes both philosophies are in “the same vortex of decision-making.” For example, if your team has one of the best offensive lines in football, it might not make sense to draft the best player available if that position happens to be a guard or tackle. That, according to Paulsen, “shifts the paradigm.”

Of course, the situation isn’t always as clean, and teams have different opinions on the matter. One of the better examples came when the Cincinnati Bengals had the option to provide Joe Burrow with Ja’Marr Chase — the best receiver prospect in the class, despite also having Tee Higgins — or draft Penei Sewell, which would have shored up a struggling Bengals offensive line.

The Bengals chose Chase, and the decision has paid off whenever Burrow is healthy. Regardless of how the Bengals came to their decision, Paulsen sees the two sides as being closer than people believe.

“To me, they’re the same,” Paulsen said. “They’re kind of worked into the same calculus here. Obviously, taking the best player available is important, but it’s gonna shift based on the team and team needs.”

Podcasts & videos

QB Jayden Daniels on New OC & Brian Urlacher Thinks London Fletcher Belongs in the HOF | Commanders

NFC East links

Bleeding Green Nation

Is this window of Eagles’ success closing?

With beloved, and highly respected offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland leaving, with highly respected defensive backs coach Christian Parker leaving to be the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys, with many highly attractive possibilities as offensive coordinator turning the Eagles down, with a cracked offensive line, with Lane Johnson contemplating retirement, and the Wild Card-round ouster from the playoffs, are they signs this window of Eagles’ success is about to close?

It looks like it.

On Wednesday, Stoutland, a prideful, stubborn, brilliant man, a bit on the egotistical side who has earned it, announced he was leaving the Eagles after 13 seasons.

Notice Stoutland never thanked the Eagles.

According to numerous reports, Stoutland was offered a job as part of Mannion’s new staff. He declined, quite possibly because he felt betrayed by the way Sirianni and former offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo began making changes without Stoutland’s input a third of the way into last season.

The Eagles have larger problems looming, besides Stoutland’s exit. It is a franchise under Howie Roseman that is very good at building towards success—though is not as good at sustaining success. When the Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2017, the NovaCare Complex was filled with everyone from Eagles’ owner Jeff Lurie on down taking credit for the Super Bowl win. It was not “We did it,” and more so “I did it,” behind the curtains.

Saquon Barkley…, Dallas Goedert, safety Reed Blankenship, linebacker Nakobe Dean, edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, punter Braden Mann, and veteran defensive lineman Brandon Graham, who proved he could still play, are all free agents. A.J. Brown wants out.

Roseman now not only has to rebuild the Eagles’ offensive line, but he also has to find a capable offensive line coach who his linemen can trust, because they will not get anyone nearly as good as Stoutland. The New York Giants will be much improved under John Harbaugh. The Dallas defense will be much improved under Parker. Washington will be much improved with a healthy Jayden Daniels.

The cracks are in the wall. Stoutland’s exodus just happens to be the latest brick to fall.

Bleeding Green Nation

There are so many reasons to be concerned about Stoutland leaving Philly

[I]t’s hard to think anyone else is going to develop talent at the level Stout did. That part specifically will also impact how the Eagles evaluate draft prospects — they won’t have Stoutland on hand to help turn an Australian rugby player into an All Pro left tackle anymore.

Nick Sirianni essentially took over the run game late in the season and didn’t talk to Stoutland about the changes he was making. [D]isrespecting a coach as revered as Stout probably isn’t the way to approach it.

Stoutland leaving the Eagles could also have an impact on Lane Johnson and whether the 13-year veteran RT decides to retire instead of return in a whole new system. Obviously losing the longest-tenured player in the locker room, in addition to the longest-tenured coach, isn’t ideal for the culture they both spent years building.

Big Blue View

Ex-Baltimore Ravens OC added to John Harbaugh’s coaching staff

Greg Roman’s role is unclear as of now

The New York Giants are adding a former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator to their staff, after all. Only, it isn’t the one head coach John Harbaugh had anticipated bringing to New Jersey.

The Giants will reportedly add Greg Roman to their coaching staff, per Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic.

Roman began his NFL coaching career in 1995. His role with the Giants is still to be determined, but he is known for his work in the run game. Perhaps that means a role along the lines of offensive run game coordinator.

RG.org

Giants Hiring John Harbaugh Signals Hard Reset, Says Carl Banks

“It’s a hard reset for the Giants, and a much-needed one from top to bottom,” Banks said. “I think John Harbaugh is going to be the North Star. Everything the Giants do will point toward that standard he’s been, the things that he does, that he’s about. They’re not negotiable. In the past decade or so, the Giants have been mediocre with a lot of talent and bad with a lot of talent at times. That’s going to change. He will not stand for it. Everybody will be working toward the same objective.”

Banks said the team will have to acclimate itself to him rather than the other way around. “They paid him too much money. He’s making as much as some of the players. He’ll get their attention,” he said. “Change is going to be hard for the Giants and their players. As much as they talk about being tired of losing, it’s going to be painful the way they change this thing, but they’re going to appreciate it.”

NFL league links

Articles

ESPN

2026 NFL Honors: Who won the league’s biggest awards?

MVP

Matthew Stafford | QB | Los Angeles Rams

At age 37 — and in his 17th NFL season — Stafford led the NFL in passing yards (4,707), touchdowns (46) and touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio (5.8). He threw for 313 more passing yards and 15 more touchdowns than New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who was the runner-up. Stafford’s 2025 season was the eighth time in NFL history that a quarterback threw for at least 4,500 yards and 45 touchdowns in a season, according to ESPN Research.

Defensive Player of the Year

Myles Garrett | DE | Cleveland Browns

The preeminent pass rusher of his generation, Garrett turned in a record-breaking season to win his second DPOY award. Garrett’s 23 sacks broke the single-season record that was previously shared by Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt. Garrett achieved this feat despite being double-teamed or chipped on 39.5% of his pass rushes this season, per NFL Next Gen Stats, more than any other edge rusher.

Offensive Player of the Year

Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | Seattle Seahawks

Smith-Njigba played his way into the conversation of the NFL’s best receivers with the most prolific season a Seahawks pass catcher has ever had. His 1,793 receiving yards led the NFL and set a franchise record. He scored 10 touchdowns and finished second among all players in yards per target at 10.9 on his way to making the Pro Bowl and being named a first-team All-Pro. The latter figure illustrates how productive Smith-Njigba was despite playing in the NFL’s most run-heavy offense, as Seattle led the league with a designed rush rate of 47.6%. JSN came up big for Seattle in the NFC Championship Game, catching 10 passes for 153 yards and his second touchdown in two postseason games to help the Seahawks advance to Super Bowl LX.

Comeback Player of the Year

Christian McCaffrey | RB | San Francisco 49ers

After bilateral Achilles tendinitis and a right knee injury limited him to four games in 2024, McCaffrey returned to his usual, versatile self in 2025. This is McCaffrey’s first Comeback Player of the Year award after finishing second in 2022. He earned it by virtue of his 2,126 scrimmage yards (second in the NFL) and 17 total touchdowns (third). Perhaps more important, McCaffrey started all 19 games, including playoffs. In the regular season, he had a league-high 413 touches, 44 more than the next closest player and the highest total of his nine seasons in the league.

NFL.com

Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 revealed at ‘NFL Honors’

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 was revealed Thursday night at NFL Honors, three days before Super Bowl LX.

Below are the members of the Class of 2026:

• Drew Brees
• Larry Fitzgerald
• Luke Kuechly
• Adam Vinatieri
• Roger Craig (senior)

International Games

Dallas Morning News

Dallas Cowboys to play 2026 regular season game in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Dallas Cowboys will play their first international game in more than 10 years with a trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the 2026 regular season, the NFL announced Thursday.

The date of the game and opponent will be announced at a later date.

Front Office Sports

Why the NFL Chose 49ers–Rams for Its First Australia Game

The Rams now have an opponent for a long-planned trip next season to Australia, and it’s a longtime rival

The Rams’ game against the 49ers in Australia will very likely be played during Week 1 of the 2026 NFL schedule, but it’s not yet determined exactly when it will happen. Complicating that situation is the 19-hour time difference between the U.S. West Coast and Melbourne. Final decisions, however, will be made in the next several months in advance of the May release of the full 2026 schedule.

Los Angeles, like other NFL teams playing international games, could protect two home games from being designated for overseas play. The Rams have a stacked 2026 home schedule that includes the Bills, Chiefs, Cowboys, and Packers as particularly marquee matchups outside of the NFC West division. That already would have pushed the 49ers toward the top of the list for the Australia game. 

Demoff, however, said the final matchup emerged more organically in discussions with the league.

“It was always a conversation,” Demoff says. “This is the first game in Melbourne. Obviously, they wanted a big opponent. … Somebody like the Buffalo Bills aren’t flying all the way to Melbourne. The likelihood was that it was probably going to be a divisional team, otherwise you’re asking somebody to make a really long trip. But for us, it comes down to making sure we can make this the biggest possible event it can be.”

The Melbourne game is now one of an unprecedented set of nine international contests the NFL will play during the 2026 regular season, joining newly unveiled trips to Spain, France, and Mexico, and previously disclosed ones to Brazil, Germany, and three more to England. The NFL also said Thursday that the Cowboys will play in the Brazil game, set for Rio de Janeiro. 

aBit o’Twitter