Things have unraveled quickly for the Washington Commanders this season. They were beaten in overtime by the Miami Dolphins, their sixth straight loss. It’s been one disaster after another, and questions are now being asked about this ambitious project’s current direction under general manager Adam Peters.
Washington’s front-office leader has a lot of hard work ahead this offseason. Peters has to get younger, and he’s got the salary-cap space to be a big player in free agency. That seems almost guaranteed, especially with only six selections in the 2026 NFL Draft at his disposal.
There are holes everywhere you look on Washington’s roster. Injuries haven’t aided their cause, but one massive gamble made by Peters during the offseason seems to have finally caught up with him.
Commanders have a big decision to make with kicker Matt Gay
The Commanders moved swiftly to sign veteran kicker Matt Gay when he was released by the Indianapolis Colts. Peters was supremely confident in the Pro Bowler, giving him the most money for any kicker on a one-year deal in NFL history. But things have not gone quite according to plan.
Gay missed two field goals in Week 11. One was near the game’s end that would have sealed the victory, but it wasn’t to be. And not for the first time this season, or in his career, both misses went wide right.
This is an ongoing frustration. Gay cannot rectify these issues, and his inaccuracies from long range make him untrustworthy in key moments. That shouldn’t go unnoticed by Peters or the coaching staff, so taking decisive action during the bye couldn’t be completely ruled out.
The Commanders are 3-8. They are not playing for anything other than pride, so they could decide to ride it out with Gay over their remaining six games before finding an alternative when the next recruitment period commences. At the same time, Peters is a ruthless roster constructor. If he believes Washington would be better off without the kicker in its quest to salvage something from the campaign, he won’t hesitate to pull the trigger.
Gay cut a dejected figure after the game, taking full accountability for the defeat. That’s what good pros do, but it won’t affect the team’s decision-making process.
There is almost no chance of Gay coming back for another go-around in 2026. He may be gone a lot sooner than that with another poor performance.
