Washington Commanders General Manager Adam Peters knows how to win the press conference – almost as well as Head Coach Dan Quinn and Quarterback Jayden Daniels know how to win football games.
The salt-and-peppered, smooth-talking Peters was a breath of fresh air compared to the musk of the previous regime. His transparency, holistic outlook, and forward-thinking attitude immediately captured the affection of the Commanders faithful.
Just about a year and a half after Peters was selected to lead the front office, he faces an enormous amount of pressure. He must assemble a championship-caliber roster, calm the storm that is star receiver Terry McLaurin’s contract talks, navigate an ultimatum from President Donald Trump, and win the support of D.C. council members to build a new stadium at the old RFK site.
How is Peters going about these tasks? Here are five key points from what he and coach Quinn said to the media ahead of the first day of the Commanders’ training camp on Tuesday.
Commanders training camp notes
Terry McLaurin No-Shows
The Commanders’ star receiver, embattled with a contract dispute, followed through with his promise not to step on the practice field without a new deal.
The soon-to-be-30-year-old will incur $50,000 in fines for every day he does not report to training camp.
“Everybody in this building values Terry very much,” Peters said of Tuesday’s camp session. “We’ve had conversations recently and we’ll look to have some more conversations, and we’re going to do everything we can in order to get a deal done.”
Peters can talk a good game, but when it comes to his true stance, the proof is in the pudding.
Notable receivers such as Tee Higgins, Garrett Wilson, and D.K. Metcalf received contract extensions this offseason. McLaurin still appears to be far away from a new deal.
Unfortunately for the franchise record-holder in single-season receiving TDs, the Commanders have the leverage in these negotiations. They could let the final year of McLaurin’s three-year, $68.4 million deal – which will only net him $19.7 million in 2025 – play out, sign him to the non-exclusive franchise tag for an estimated $28.1 million in 2026, and re-tag him for about $33.7 million in 2027.
That would effectively place McLaurin on a deal worth around $27.2 million annually over the next three years.
Comparatively, McLaurin is reportedly asking for a long-term deal worth at least $30 million annually that would keep him under contract through his age 33 or 34 season, well past the time when receivers typically decline.
In a business in which loyalty means very little, it could be financially prudent of the Commanders to run the risk of souring their relationship with McLaurin to maintain future cap flexibility.
How ugly will the situation get? Only time will tell.
Expectations for the coming days
Coach Quinn said that there will be a “ramp-up period” during the first week of training camp.
The players wore helmets during the first session on Tuesday and will slowly move to “shells,” or lighter pads, before they put on full pads down the line.
“You don’t want to go zero to 100 miles per hour that fast,” said Quinn. “The practices will go in length – we’ll even start on more of a condensed field – so that ramp-up is designed to maximize the player for their safety… and then we’ll build up into it.”
Coach Quinn also confirmed the Commanders will participate in a joint-practice session with the New England Patriots before they participate in a preseason game in Foxborough on Aug. 8.
Ben Sinnott and Brandon Coleman stepping up
The Commanders have the oldest roster in the NFL. The only way back from that is to hit on young picks in the draft.
In the case of Ben Sinnott and Brandon Coleman, who had very different rookie seasons, the team brass believes they have a pair of potential building blocks for the future.
“Sinnott and Coleman jumped out to me in different ways,” Quinn said.
He also revealed that his two most established sophomores, Jayden Daniels and Mike Sainistil, surprised him with their growth last year.
“That’s pretty traditional that you see this jump from year one to year two,” said Quinn. “Jayden and Mikey, they kind of corrected it in-season; they didn’t have to wait until the offseason. I think that speaks to their rarity.
“It’s normal to fight your a– off in the season and take your lumps, then during the offseason, ‘I gotta get better at this, and I gotta work on this.’ With those two, with the experience they had, they kind of self-corrected faster.”
Deebo Samuel’s presence is being felt
The Commanders acquired three veterans via trade over the last eight months.
One of those players, Samuel, only cost a fifth-round pick… yet the expectations for his debut season in D.C. are high.
“What I’ve seen is… he’s always had a great job about him,” said Peters. “I don’t want to speak for him, but maybe being in a new offense and having new challenges, he seems like he’s really revitalized, and he’s been an awesome teammate, and he’s working his tail off to be in excellent shape.”
Coach Quinn doubled down on Peters’ sentiments.
“The word I think of for Deebo, I think of joy,” said Quinn. “You see it on the practice field, you see it in the meeting rooms, there’s an energy he brings to our team that you feel it, and I certainly did right from the beginning.”
Samuel is coming off the least productive season of his professional career, during which he caught 51 passes for 670 yards and three touchdowns and ran 42 times for 136 yards and a touchdown.
However, he dealt with injuries to himself and his teammates and was hospitalized for pneumonia mid-season. He is hoping to revitalize his career in the up-tempo Commanders offense as one of the best after-the-catch receivers in the sport.
The evolution of Jayden Daniels
Daniels was only one vote away from being the unanimous Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. He ranked fourth in QBR and led his team to six fourth-quarter comebacks en route to an appearance in the NFC Championship Game.
While many around the league are wary of a sophomore slump, the Commanders’ coach said he would “never count him out.”
“One thing I learned over the year from Jayden, man, there’s no limits,” said Quinn. “This is somebody that absolutely is a savage from a work standpoint and absolutely puts it in.
“The skill work, the techniques, the knowledge of the offense, all of those things are going to be enhanced. He’s thrown himself an excellent offseason… You can feel his energy.”
FanDuel sportsbook awarded Daniels the fifth-best odds to win the NFL MVP in 2025, only behind Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and Patrick Mahomes.
