There’s still a lot of football left to be played in the 2026 NFL season. The question with the Washington Commanders, though, is will it be enough football to allow Dan Quinn to turn around his club.
Even the optimistic Quinn didn’t sound so sure after his team’s latest loss in Week 9 to the Los Angeles Rams.
“Yeah, I think it speaks to the importance of a division leader right away, and so it’s a difficult locker room,” Quinn said on if he feels they’re running out of time in 2026. “We got to turn the page quickly to get to that because we talked earlier, ‘OK, this is where we are,’ but we also know, ‘Man, we have to play at our best.’”
The Commanders fell 20-13 to the Rams on Sunday. Washington’s defense held Matthew Stafford to a 72.6 quarterback rating, but the unit couldn’t slow down Puka Nacua.
While every other Rams pass-catcher didn’t eclipse 20 yards, Nacua went off for 14 receptions and 150 yards with a score.
Without the support of a running game, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels couldn’t keep up. Daniels completed 24 of 35 passes for 274 yards. He also had one touchdown.
Can Commanders Still Turn Things Around in 2026?
The Commanders might be running out of time. But the more appropriate question might be whether Quinn’s team is even capable of righting the ship at this point.
A bad team could have more games in a season. But nothing is ever going to be enough time if a healthy roster doesn’t have the pieces to start winning.
The Commanders have been competitive with Daniels in the lineup. But they haven’t been able to defeat anyone but the hapless Philadelphia Eagles for six weeks.
Commanders’ Dan Quinn Reacts to 2026 Season Slipping Away