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Wood Central
RFK Rebuild — Commanders to Play in World’s Biggest Timber Stadium?
Boston-based KaTO Architecture said the timber-roofed stadium could become the United States answer to Wembley Stadium.
One of the world’s most famous stadiums could be (re) built in wood with the audacious design pitched by a small studio, KaTO Architecture, which has joined a growing chorus of fans, politicians, and NFL officials pushing for the Washington Commanders, one of North America’s largest and most successful franchises, to move back into a new mass timber-constructed RFK Stadium – just two miles from the Capitol Building.
Speaking to the Fox Network, Kyle Murphy, the project’s lead architect, said that while the team and city did not engage the studio, RFK’s prime location—next to the National Mall—meant the stadium must think big: “We decided to throw out a wild card and see where it goes,” Murphy said. We’ve been trying to pitch this as something that could be about national pride beyond just the value to a specific team or city.”
Wood Central understands that the project (if constructed) would be the world’s largest (rectangular) stadium built out of mass timber, and comes months after the Tasmanian-based Macquarie Point, which, once constructed, will become the world’s largest timber-roofed oval stadium.
Commanders.com
Five takeaways from the NFC Championship
No fourth-quarter magic from the offense.
Commanders fans had become accustomed to Daniels and the offense putting together impressive second-half performances that put teams away or helped them climb out of deficits. There were times when it looked like that may have been the case, particularly after Daniels’ 10-yard touchdown run and the defense forcing a punt on the next Philadelphia drive.
That’s where things became more frustrating for the Commanders, though. Their next four drives ended with three turnovers on downs and one interception. Daniels and the offense struggled to move the ball during that stretch, as they amassed just 74 yards.
Daniels’ final play of the game resulted in a turnover. He launched a pass intended for Terry McLaurin into the end zone, but rookie Quinyon Mitchell came away with it instead. Backup Marcus Mariota took over from there and handed the ball off to Ekeler four times to turn over the ball on downs for the last time.
That shouldn’t take anything away from the offense’s performance during the regular season when it was one of the best units in football. However, it did serve as another reminder of how much self-inflicted wounds can affect an outcome.
ESPN
Zach Ertz ‘not retiring’ after rejuvenating year with Commanders
Ertz, who just finished his 12th season, said he was energized during his first year in Washington. He finished with 66 catches for 654 yards and seven touchdowns — his most since 2018. That also happened to be the last season before this one that he played in every game.
“I’m not retiring just because I had so much fun this year,” Ertz said Monday. “I feel rejuvenated. I feel young. I played good football this year, so for me it’s figuring out everything going forward, and they know how I feel about this place.”
In Washington’s 55-23 loss to Philadelphia in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, Ertz posted season highs in catches (11) and yards (104). For the season, he ranked third among tight ends with 13 catches in the red zone and tied for third with three touchdowns in that area. He had three catches on fourth down in the regular season and four in three postseason games.
Ertz will be a free agent when the new league year starts in March but has said how much he likes playing for Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, with whom he spent parts of two seasons in Arizona. Kingsbury was a key reason Ertz signed a one-year deal with Washington last offseason.
“Obviously it’s a two-way street,” Ertz said. “I can bang down the door and say I want to be here, but if they don’t want me here then it’s a moot point.
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders key numbers, NFC Championship: Dream scenario deferred not denied
9: After having only eight combined penalties in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Commanders had 9 infringements in this game for 47 yards. At one point, the Commanders had three offside penalties in a row with the Eagles inside the one-yard line. This prompted a unique warning from the refs.
Washington was the most penalized team over the last three games of the regular season. That lack of discipline came back to bite them against Philadelphia.
2.36: Outside of the Commanders’ touchdown in the second half, the team only had 71 total yards of offense across their other five drives, averaging an anemic 2.36 yards per play. The Eagles, on the other hand, outscored Washington 28-8 in the second half, securing touchdowns on three straight drives to put the game out of sight.
5: Jayden Daniels became the first rookie to pass for five touchdown passes in a single postseason. Three of those went to Terry McLaurin, who had a score in each of the Commanders’ playoff contests.
The prolific wideout finished with 14 receptions for 227 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the postseason. And his connection with Daniels continues to grow stronger.
Sports Illustrated
Update on Commanders’ guard Sam Cosmi ACL surgery and recovery
Sam Cosmi shared that he will have surgery on Tuesday and is anxious to begin his recovery process.
With the season now over, Cosmi spoke to Washington media about the season that was with a smile on his face and shared an update on his recovery, revealing he’s scheduled to have surgery Tuesday morning.
“I’ll get surgery tomorrow and go from there. I’ll be here for (recovery), so I’m looking forward to that,” Cosmi shared. “Hopefully I can get on the football field as soon as possible for next year. There’s nothing more than I want to be on the field with my brothers and be able to battle and do all that. So, I’m going to do everything in my power to get my body in peak physical shape and to be able to be ready for next year.”
Cosmi knows he’s up against a tough fight in the coming months. Typically, this type of recovery results in a player missing anywhere from nine months of football activity or more. That means the chances he’s ready for training camp are slim.
The Athletic (paywall)
‘The floor has risen’: Commanders looking ahead as they work through season-ending pain
The good news is that the players, whether lock returnees for the 2025 season or TBD, collectively have the utmost faith in general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn.
Linebacker Frankie Luvu declared the 2024 campaign was the “most fun” of his seven-year career, and his trust in Peters and Quinn to keep the good times rolling is “over 110 percent.”
“They had a game plan. They had a foundation. Brick by brick, they laid (the path) down for us,” Luvu said Monday as players cleaned out their lockers. “They did an amazing job at it. I trust them with any move that they go forward with.”
That plan came with a clear vision that Peters, speaking during a joint season-ending news conference with Quinn, sees remaining entering another transaction-heavy offseason. The Commanders’ 12 regular-season wins and the NFC championship appearance were highs not seen in these parts since the 1991 season
Washington has six weeks to determine who it wishes to keep, which outside free agents to target and how best to use its approximately $87.6 million of available salary-cap space.
Peters and Quinn were light on specifics in their final appearance with local media before the NFL Scouting Combine in late February. The GM praised the head coach for instilling their “shared vision” into the players and “creating a true brotherhood.” Quinn mentioned that the mix of holdovers and newcomers helped the group find “our identity.”
“The floor has risen,” Quinn said, “but we’re nowhere near where our ceiling’s gonna be, and that fires me up.”
The Athletic (paywall)
Watch: What are the big offseason questions for the Commanders?
Derrik: I’m a little bit more scared about some of the regression that is going to hit this team in certain areas. I know their offense was generally well-constructed this year, but I would be shocked if they could get away with an offensive line of this caliber next year.
Robert: They probably won’t have to. The question is where do the resources go? I think that becomes the biggest offseason question for this team. Again, they have $87 million in cap space. You’ve got a couple of guys hitting free agency in Bobby Wagner, Jeremy Chinn and Zach Ertz. Zach Ertz had a nice season but the fact that he is catching 10 balls for you in the NFC Championship Game is not really a place where you want to be in 2025.
Can they start to add some real high-level pieces in the draft? Do they take a tackle in the first round, for example? Is this not going to be just pieced together with mid-level free agents along the offensive line? Can you swing a little bit higher? They need another pass catcher somewhere along the way and we’ll see what they end up doing in the secondary because that’s probably where they need to spend some money and resources as well. This is a team that can really do a lot to improve the areas of their roster that feel a little bit underwhelming right now. And I think when you combine that with a quarterback who played this way and a play caller who’s going to be coming back and seems to want to be there, it’s a very good starting point with me.
Washington Post (paywall)
For Commanders, pride and gratitude in the moment, uncertainty in future
As the team cleared out its lockers, players remained emotional in wake of Sunday’s loss. And more than two dozen will enter free agency.
Twenty-eight players, including a number of starters and valuable veterans, will be unrestricted free agents in March, ensuring Washington’s locker room will look considerably different by spring.
Success comes with a cost. Quinn’s staff will be poached, if not this year, then in seasons to come. Peters and Quinn expect as much.
Wide receiver Noah Brown said that he has been training and lifting weights again since suffering a kidney injury in Week 13 against the Tennessee Titans but that he has not yet been medically cleared for contact. “But I don’t need to be for a while,” he said. Brown is among the dozens slated for free agency and said he would like to return to Washington.
Slot corner Noah Igbinoghene said he felt like he had a “career year” headed into free agency. The former first-round pick helped stabilize the weak corner rotation. Igbinoghene, 25, appeared in all 20 games and had seven pass breakups. How aggressively the Commanders try to re-sign him could signal where they see standout rookie corner Mike Sainristil, who is a natural slot but played outside to paper over the holes in the roster, which the front office will try to fix this offseason.
Veteran defensive tackle Jalyn Holmes will also be a free agent soon, but his near future could be more interesting than most: He is expecting the arrival of his third son next month, has one semester left to complete his degree in consumer and family financial services, and, if all goes right, should land another NFL contract. He, too, hopes it’s with the Commanders.
Safety Jeremy Chinn, wide receiver Dyami Brown and edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr., three impending free agents, said they want to return to the Commanders but understand the league is a business.
Washington Post (paywall)
The scene inside the Commanders’ locker room the day their dream died
After so many lively postgame celebrations during its renaissance season, Washington on Sunday had tears, appreciation and a bit of hope.
The players said nothing. They looked stunned and beaten up. Principal owner Josh Harris put an arm around running back Austin Ekeler. A teammate patted quarterback Jayden Daniels on the shoulder. Someone knocked over a clipboard, and when it fell to the ground, clattering off the concrete walls, no one reacted.
In the locker room, Coach Dan Quinn told his players to enjoy the moment together. The players were hurt. They believed they were better than the 55-23 loss that ended their season one game short of the Super Bowl. But they knew Quinn was right. The front office had built a bridge roster with veterans on short, cheap contracts. There were going to be lots of changes over the next few months.
Many weren’t ready to let go of the magical season. They had defied low expectations, nurtured a star quarterback and restored pride to the franchise. They had helped the D.C. area fall back in love with football. They had let fans dare to dream. “The biggest thing [we did],” defensive end Clelin Ferrell told reporters, “is what I feel like teams here in the past haven’t done, which is believe in themselves.”
General Manager Adam Peters walked from player to player, shaking hands, giving hugs and thanking them for their hard work. “Love you,” more than one told him.
Washington Post (paywall)
After this surprising season, D.C. can decide what its fandom will look like
As expectations grow, the Commanders’ fanbase can be loud and joyful without morphing into obnoxious buffoons.
“But when you look at the big picture and you see what this team’s accomplished this year, what the opportunity is ahead, it’s unbelievable. Really. We’ve reignited a fan base. We’ve given the DMV hope again, and these guys just played their butts off all year long. It’s very emotional. We’re on our way; we really are. It’s happening faster than any of us realized it could happen. So great stuff.”
That’s the real fun part of this Commanders playoff run. Consider this season just the extra-long preview for the years to come. With burgundy and gold No. 5s worn in every schoolyard in the region, Quinn-ese infiltrating the language of every youth league coach and mid-level manager, and the nation’s capital football team reclaiming every last drop of relevancy it had lost over the previous three decades.
After a 2024 season in which the Commanders experienced so many highs — and even after the result Sunday night, I refuse to write “lows” — Washington is again a football city. And because this is a moment for remaking, the region can decide exactly what its passion should look like.
Podcasts & videos
NFC Championship Recap + Best Moments from the Radio Booth | Podcast | Washington Commanders | NFL
Episode 994 – #WASvsPHI postgame. Disappointed about the loss. Thrilled about the season.
Analysis & discussion of the Commanders’ roster, the turnovers, the defense, Jayden Daniels’ performance, the bigger picture & more. An exciting offseason now begins.https://t.co/e08YeAiSOM
— Al Galdi (@AlGaldi) January 27, 2025