NFL players seek trades to 7-2 Commanders ahead of Tuesday’s deadline

NFL players are crossing their fingers on Tuesday, hoping to land a trade to the hottest team in the league before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline. 

For the first time in years, the 7-2 Washington Commanders look like an attractive trade destination.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saturday that players around the league have privately told their agents that they’d be interested in coming to Washington in potential moves at the trade deadline.

“When is the last time that we heard, in the NFL, that players are interested in coming to play in Washington?” Schefter said on “SportsCenter.” “That would predate [former owner] Dan Snyder, and it would be as uncommon to hear in the NFL as a Hail Mary. … But that’s where we’re at.”

The Commanders’ new reputation is a far cry from the 25 years under former owner Dan Snyder. 

With fresh leadership and dynamic rookie Jayden Daniels playing like a franchise quarterback, it’s a new era in Washington.

“When you have that type of charisma and that type of success, I think other people are drawn to it,” Schefter said.

Coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters, both in their first year with the Commanders, have spearheaded a franchise-wide culture change that is paying off on the field. Daniels and the Commanders sit atop the NFC East with a 7-2 record, their best start since 1996.

If Washington is a “buyer” at the deadline, it’d be a stark change from recent years. 

In 2023, then-coach Ron Rivera traded away former first-round pass rushers Montez Sweat and Chase Young for a pair of mid-round draft picks. Rivera said the trades were an opportunity to build toward the future after a disappointing 3-5 start.

The story was similar in 2022. The Commanders stumbled to a 4-4 record and traded cornerback William Jackson III, one of the highest-paid players on the team, to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a conditional sixth-round pick.

This year is different. When Peters traded wide receiver Jahan Dotson to the Philadelphia Eagles in late August, it was because the team didn’t have a role for him, not because they needed to maximize draft capital as they started looking ahead to next season.

Ten weeks later, the Commanders are positioned to add to their roster for a potential playoff run. Reports from insiders around the league speculated that Peters could be looking for a wide receiver to boost the already high-powered offense or a cornerback to help the struggling secondary.

Adding a new face to the locker room without disrupting the preexisting chemistry is a delicate balance. Quinn noted that it’s a worthwhile risk.

“If there’s a way to compete, we’ll look into it,” Quinn said Monday, though he noted that Peters leads any trade discussions. “Decisions aren’t easy. You have to find out the balance of chemistry and what’s best for the team; it’s got to be. You stay true to that.”

If the Commanders trade for a player on Tuesday, it would be their first deadline addition since trading a fourth-round pick to the Green Bay Packers for safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in 2018. He recorded 66 tackles without an interception in just nine games with Washington.

But midseason trade acquisitions occasionally make a lasting impact for playoff contenders looking to take the next step. The San Francisco 49ers found a starting quarterback when they acquired Jimmy Garropolo at the 2017 deadline. The former New England Patriot led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance after the 2019 season.

San Francisco general manager John Lynch struck gold again when he acquired running back Christian McCaffrey at the 2022 deadline. After a few injury-riddled seasons with the Carolina Panthers, McCaffrey played like an Offensive Player of the Year candidate with the 49ers, becoming a focal point of their attack as they made another Super Bowl appearance last season.

With more moves from contenders, the once-sleepy NFL trade deadline is now an event to watch. That’s to be expected for a league that televises its draft, scouting combine and schedule release each year.

“Our league is built so closely and designed with parity in mind. So, if you can make a move to change your roster, I think this player would really add value; that’s the biggest difference,” Quinn said of the deadline. “What are we seeing that could be a slight shift, a slight advantage? And being aggressive into that spot.”

The Commanders, along with the rest of the NFL, have until 4 p.m. on Tuesday to finalize any trades.

Quinn’s squad returns to Northwest Stadium on Sunday as the 6-2 Pittsburgh Steelers come to town.