The Washington Commanders, at 4-10 and out of playoff contention, are almost certainly headed for a significant offseason makeover, led by new owner Josh Harris. Change is coming, and Harris is likely to start at the top.
The 2024 season for Washington unofficially begins Jan. 8, when it can interview prospective general managers and start to reconfigure its front office.
After four years of allowing Coach Ron Rivera to have final say over all football decisions, the Commanders seem poised to revert to a more traditional structure, with a fully-empowered GM and a coach who manages everything on the field. Ideally, the team can hire that GM first, so that he or she can have a hand in the coaching search.
“We want to create a culture in Washington where the best and the brightest executives — business, coaches, front office, everyone, marketing people — they say, ‘We want to be at this place,’ ” Harris said in November. “To do that, you have to treat people well. You can have high expectations. But people have to say, ‘We want to be part of this.’ ”
Harris already made one significant hire: Eugene Shen, the Commanders’ new senior vice president of football strategy. And if Harris’s other American pro sports teams — the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils — are guides, he could also add an executive vice president of football operations to provide another trusted voice at the top.
“You have to develop all these edges,” Harris said. “… Certainly sports science and analytics, and coaching staff and front office and being attractive to players and location and a new stadium. All that stuff builds into a winning franchise and winning culture.”
So which future GM will give Washington another edge? Here are some possible candidates to monitor.
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