“With the second pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Washington Commanders select Jayden Daniels, Quarterback, LSU.” These words uttered by the National Football League commissioner had sparked a new era for Washington football fans at McLean who were finally able to see the light at the end of a long tunnel of darkness.
Dan Snyder, an American entrepreneur who made his fortune in marketing, originally bought the team for 800 million dollars in May 1999, the most expensive sporting transaction ever at the time. He was quickly remarked as a tyrant throughout the organization, primarily known for creating a toxic work culture and an entitled unwillingness to spend on team or stadium renovations. Washington was the laughing stock of the sports world, a harsh reality in which hundreds of McLean High School students and DC football fans were born into.
Fast forward to April 2023, where after hundreds of lawsuits from fans, and dozens of sexual harassment allegations against Synder, the owner finally sold the team to an investment group led by Josh Harris, an American entrepreneur and investor also known for owning the Philadelphia 76ers. A jolt of excitement could be felt throughout the McLean halls when the team was sold, fans ecstatic they were no longer under the oppressive rule of Snyder. A new wave in Washington was born.
“I felt amazing when he sold the team; I’d refused to give up on the franchise no matter what and it finally felt like we’d get somewhere without Snyder” said senior Alex Mallus, “As a kid I’d ask my dad why we can’t be better or why we can’t go out and sign good players, and it always came back to Snyder. It was hard to watch football for years but that’s what makes this new era so amazing and special.”
Josh Harris’s ownership group sought to create a winning culture throughout the Commanders organization, a skill that had been immensely lacking during Snyder’s time as a owner. Harris consistently explained to fans that he was going to give Commanders a competitive team to cheer for, something thousands of Washington fans and McLean High School students had yet to see in their lifetime.
“This season marks a complete 180 for the Commanders, and it definitely won’t be a one time success story because of what the new owners are doing” Mallus said.
Prior to Washington’s exhilarating victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2024-2025 Wild Card playoff round on Jan. 12, not a single McLean High School student was alive for their previous win. The date of that previous playoff victory: January 7th, 2006. In between their two most recent playoff wins, Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scored 848 goals, the Washington Nationals won 19 playoff games, three different United States Presidents were elected, and the Washington Redskins/Football Team/Commanders started 20 different Quarterbacks in an official game during that timespan. The most recent of those 20 Quarterbacks: Jayden Daniels.
“I was ecstatic when the Commanders picked Jayden Daniels last year” junior Ramsey El-Nattar said, “ He’s an extraordinarily talented Quarterback with a lot of potential. His arrival, combined with new ownership, has brought a positive vibe and hope to the team and fans.”
Daniels, a consensus top draft pick in 2024 and Heisman award recipient in 2023, originally sparked mixed emotions throughout McLean High School when drafted with the second overall pick. Some fans felt disgruntled about missing out on Caleb Williams, the consensus best player in the 2024 draft from USC, while others felt optimistic as Daniels showed the elite skills to win during his time at LSU. With all this mixed criticism, Daniels took it upon himself to blow all expectations out of the water.
“While I always believed in Daniels from the start, I couldn’t have imagined a season as incredible as this one right now” said El-Nattar, “It is like watching someone who has been in the league for a decade when he steps out onto the field”.
At the start of the regular season, no one outside of Washington gave the team a chance, with ESPN predicting the team Commanders to finish in fourth to last place in the league. It was during this difficult preseason period that Daniels made a commitment to himself and his new fanbase to put on a MVP-caliber season. During the regular season, Daniels fulfilled his original promise of an MVP-type show, leading the Commanders to a 12-5 record, their best record season since their 1992 Super Bowl XXVI championship, and clinching a Wild Card berth against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For some fans, the Commanders new look has brought a nostalgic feeling back once again.
“It’s quite emotional for me,” McLean English teacher Susan Copsey said, “I remember the glory days under [three-time Superbowl Champion Head Coach] Joe Gibbs. I haven’t felt this sense of hope and sheer joy since the Gibb’s era.
This season has been special for all fans, the supporters who stopped believing in the team back in the Snyder era are finally coming back to root for their hometown squad. A DC stadium once covered in visiting team colors every Sunday, has now returned to its iconic gold and burgundy color scheme. After yet another nail biting victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Wild Card Weekend, the team will head to Detroit to take on the top-seeded Lions on Saturday night with a bid to the NFC Championship game on the line.
“I have only one message for my team against the Lions this weekend: Win! Win! Win!” Copsey said.
Edit: The Washington Commanders defeated the Detroit Lions 45-31 and will play the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game on Sunday, Jan. 26.
