The Washington Commanders‘ 2023 offseason will be defined by longtime owner Daniel Snyder finally selling the franchise, but the on-field product could be trending in the up, too. With a veteran-laden roster that still has questions at quarterback, can the Commanders take a step forward in the upcoming NFL season?

Let’s take a look back at Washington’s offseason moves as we preview the Commanders’ 2023 campaign.

Everything You Need Ahead of the Washington Commanders 2023 NFL Season

With a new ownership group coming into focus, head coach Ron Rivera could be on the hot seat. Rivera took the Commanders to the postseason in his first year in Washington, but he hasn’t won more than eight games over three seasons in D.C.

Washington Commanders Roster Changes

• Players Signed
  • QB Jacoby Brissett
  • OT Andrew Wylie
  • OL Nick Gates
  • DL Daron Payne (franchised then extended)
  • EDGE Efe Obada
  • LB Cody Barton
  • LB David Mayo
  • CB Cameron Dantzler (waivers from MIN)
  • CB Danny Johnson
• Players Drafted
  • CB Emmanuel Forbes
  • DB Jartavius Martin
  • C Ricky Stromberg
  • OL Braeden Daniels
  • EDGE K.J. Henry
  • RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.
  • LB Andre Jones
• Players Lost
  • QB Taylor Heinicke (Falcons)
  • QB Carson Wentz
  • RB J.D. McKissic
  • WR Cam Sims (Raiders)
  • OL Nick Martin
  • OL Wes Schweitzer (Jets)
  • OL Trai Turner
  • LB Jon Bostic
  • LB Cole Holcomb (Steelers)
  • S Bobby McCain (Giants)

After the Wentz experiment went sideways in 2022, the Commanders are going back to the drawing board at quarterback. Washington has been saying all the right things about turning to Sam Howell, last year’s fifth-round pick, under center, but Jacoby Brissett will compete for the starting role after posting the best season of his career with the Browns.

Whoever plays quarterback will be working with the same set of weapons that Wentz had at his disposal, but Washington’s offense will look significantly different. Gates and Wylie will take starting roles, and Sam Cosmi will shift from right tackle to right guard, while left guard Andrew Norwell’s future with the Commanders is in question.

Washington will bring back all four members of its starting defensive line after franchise-tagging then extending Payne, but most of the team’s defensive work came at the second and third levels. Cody Barton will commandeer the defense after starting 11 games for the Seahawks in 2022. First-round corner Forbes will be an immediate contributor at what was the only real weak spot on Washington’s defense.

Washington Commanders Coaching Staff in 2023

• Head Coach: Ron Rivera
• Offensive Coordinator: Eric Bieniemy
  • QB coach: Tavita Pritchard
  • RB coach: Randy Jordan
  • WR coach: Bobby Engram
  • TE coach: Juan Castillo
• Defensive Coordinator: Jack Del Rio
  • DL coach: Jeff Zgonina
  • LB coach: Steve Russ
  • DB coach: Brent Vieselmeyer
• Special Teams Coordinator: Nate Kaczor

After a decade with the Chiefs, Bieniemy will leave Andy Reid’s shadow and call his own plays in Washington, something he didn’t do in Kansas City.

Bieniemy has interviewed for 15 head coaching positions over the past five offseasons without landing a job. But if he helps develop Howell with the Commanders, Bieniemy — who is taking over for Scott Turner — could get more chances in 2023.

Predicting the Washington Commanders Depth Chart

Offensive Depth Chart

• QB: Sam Howell, Jacoby Brissett, Jake Fromm
• RB: Brian Robinson, Antonio Gibson, Chris Rodriguez Jr., Jonathan Williams
• WR: Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel, Dyami Brown, Dax Milne, Kyric McGowan, Marcus Kemp
• TE: Logan Thomas, John Bates, Cole Turner, Armani Rogers
• LT: Charles Leno Jr., Braeden Daniels
• LG: Andrew Norwell, Chris Paul
• C: Nick Gates, Ricky Stromberg, Tyler Larsen
• RG: Sam Cosmi, Saahdiq Charles
• RT: Andrew Wylie, Cornelius Lucas, Trent Scott

Defensive Depth Chart

• DT: Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, John Ridgeway, Phidarian Mathis, Abdullah Anderson
• EDGE: Montez Sweat, Chase Young, James Smith-Williams, Efe Obada
• LB: Cody Barton, Jamin Davis, David Mayo, Khaleke Hudson
• CB: Kendall Fuller, Emmanuel Forbes, Jartavius Martin, Benjamin St-Juste, Cameron Dantzler, Danny Johnson, Rachad Wildgoose
• S: Kamren Curl, Darrick Forrest, Percy Butler, Jeremy Reaves

Special Teams Depth Chart

• K: Joey Slye
• P: Tress Way
• LS: Camaron Cheeseman
• KR: Antonio Gibson
• PR: Dax Milne

2022 Results and Standings

The Commanders’ 2022 campaign was a tale of hot and cold. Washington posted two streaks of three consecutive wins but also managed a four-game losing streak and a three-game losing streak with a tie tacked on.

The high point of the Commanders’ season came in Week 10, when they handed the previously undefeated Eagles their first loss of the season. Washington, a double-digit underdog, milked the clock and won the turnover battle to win 31-21.

The Commanders won their final game of the season against the Cowboys to finish 8-8-1, but that wasn’t enough to earn a playoff spot in the NFC. Washington was the only NFC East club not to make the postseason.

2023 Power Ranking and Season Outlook

The Commanders rank 21st in Dalton Miller’s post-draft power rankings, sitting in Tier 3 alongside the Patriots, Steelers, Browns, Vikings, Panthers, and Chargers.

Defensive performance is rarely sticky from year to year, but it’s probably safe to assume that Del Rio’s unit will perform well again in 2023 after ranking fifth in expected points added per play last season. After shoring up their cornerback depth chart by drafting Forbes, Washington doesn’t have any obvious holes on the defensive side of the ball.

Whether or not the Commanders can compete for a playoff spot seems almost entirely dependent on the performance of the club’s quarterback. That’s not exactly a novel idea, as signal-caller production drives most teams’ success. But if Howell or Brissett can play like a top-16ish quarterback, Washington could have a path to the postseason.

Rivera probably needs to make the playoffs in order to keep his job. New NFL owners often like to clean house and start fresh in the front office and on the coaching staff, and another season at or below .500 won’t be enough for Rivera to stick around.