Washington Commanders Lead NFL In One Obvious Category

The Washington Commanders made it to the top of an NFL list, but it is not one they will celebrate.

Since 2018, the Commanders have started 12 different quarterbacks (most of any team in the league).

Taylor Heinicke spearheads this quarterback carousel with 23 total starts. Sam Howell trails behind with 18, and Alex Smith with 16. The team has mostly itself to blame for these paltry numbers. The dubious distinction reflects the franchise's continued search for stability at football's most important position.

Prior to selecting Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 pick in 2024, they've only drafted one other first-round QB in the last six years. Even worse, only three of their 60 total picks in that span have been used on a quarterback.

The Commanders have tried, and failed to find a sense of security under center through veterans around league. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Carson Wentz and Case Keenum have all been pawns in Washington’s unorthodox team-building experiment. None were able to become a pillar of the franchise.

Putting QB on the back burner in drafts for the last decade, they’ve made waves defensively and at other skill positions. That approach has resulted in zero winning seasons since 2016.

Perhaps their prioritization of a QB in 2024 is an indication that Washington has finally had enough.

Daniels is, by far, their most talented prospect in a very long time, and he could be the franchise player to completely shift the culture.