In the summer of 2023, Dan Snyder stepped down as the principal owner and General Manager of the (newly renamed) Washington Commanders, sparking one of the most remarkable turnarounds in sports history. The Commanders had gone 4-13 in the previous season with no clear direction and no future. Then, Snyder, widely considered one of the worst owners of all time, stepped down. Snyder’s resignation filled all Commanders fans with newfound hope. Along with a new owner, a new GM, Adam Peters, was brought in to reconstruct the roster. He drafted Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick, changing the future of the team for years to come. Daniels was a revelation this season, having one of the greatest rookie seasons of all time, with 3,568 passing yards and 25 touchdowns en route to a 12-5 record and two playoff wins. The final part of the Commanders’ ascension was their new coach, Dan Quinn. Quinn came in and completely changed the locker room culture, only bringing in guys with a drive to win and improve.
The Potomac football team found itself in a very similar situation two seasons ago. They struggled, going 1-8 during the 2023 season. They needed to pull off a rebuild just like the Commanders. And, well, it worked! The rebuild had all three essential components of the Commanders’ rebuild: a new quarterback, coach, and “GM.” Junior quarterback Sean Sutherland transferred into Potomac and was an instant boost to the offense. Sutherland’s best game came against St. James when he logged 256 passing yards and four touchdowns. Potomac also hired a new athletic director this year, Coach Steve Lachut, who took over hiring for the football team. The final piece of the Potomac rebuild was the head coaching change. The former talented head coach, Coach Remmo, took a position as Director of Campus Operations at Oregon Episcopal School. Coach Lachut then promoted (former) JV head coach Dan Wolff to varsity head coach. Coach Wolff has been a jolt of energy to the Panthers football team. All three components culminated in an 8-5 record for the 2024 season, an impressive improvement from last year.
Both teams are starting to climb and have much more to come. The Commanders have 63 million dollars to spend on free agents this offseason, and with new management in place, they are likely to swing big. Recently, they have been linked to Browns star defensive edge Myles Garrett. With rising young stars and millions to spend, the Commanders’ future is incredibly bright. On the Potomac side, incoming student-athletes paired with veteran players will set the stage for even more improvement and another exciting season to come.
