The season was the Commanders' eighth-straight having a different quarterback start opening week, with 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels selected second overall in the 2024 NFL draft after previous starter Sam Howell had been traded. Daniels set the NFL record for most rushing yards in a season by a rookie quarterback. The season also featured the Hail Maryland, a game-winning Hail Mary pass against the Chicago Bears as time expired from Daniels to wide receiver Noah Brown.
The team finished the regular season with a record of 12–5, their highest win total since 1991 and the largest improvement by wins over two seasons in team history.[24] The team's offense under Daniels ranked among the best in team history, tying for the franchise's second-most total points in a season with 485, and ranking top three in rushing and total yards.[25]
Washington traded defensive end Montez Sweat to Chicago in exchange for their second round selection (40th overall pick).[26]
Washington traded quarterback Sam Howell and fourth and sixth round selections (102nd and 179th) to Seattle in exchange for their third and fifth round selections (78th and 152nd).[27]
Washington traded their second, third, and fifth round selections (40th, 78th, and 152nd) to Philadelphia in exchange for their two second rounds and a fifth round selection (50th, 53rd, and 161st).[28]
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin, defensive end Clelin Ferrell, and safety Jeremy Reaves served as game captains.[30] Rookie quarterback (QB) Jayden Daniels scored two goal line rushing touchdowns and gained 272 total yards, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 80 yards with two touchdowns in his debut.[31][32] Both teams would meet again on the Wild Card round.[33]
ARI – Marvin Harrison Jr. – 5 receptions, 45 yards, TD
Running back Jeremy McNichols, guard Nick Allegretti, and safety Quan Martin served as game captains.[43] 42 points were the most the Commanders had scored in a game since 2016 and was the first time scoring 38 or more in consecutive games since 1991.[44] QB Jayden Daniels set a record for having the highest completion percentage (82.1) over a four game span in NFL history and became the first to complete at least 85 percent of his passes in consecutive games.[45] Daniels was also named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for September, being the first player for the team to win it since Robert Griffin III in 2012.[46] With 15 tackles, linebacker Bobby Wagner moved into fourth place on the career tackles list.[47]
Quarterback Jayden Daniels, defensive end Dorance Armstrong, and safety Jeremy Chinn served as game captains.[48] The Commanders became the first NFL team since 1970 to score at least 150 points in their first five games with a rookie quarterback, with Jayden Daniels being the first to pass for more than 1,000 yards and rush for more than 250 during the same span.[49] It was also their first time winning two consecutive games by at least 20 points since 1997, first time scoring at least 30 points in three consecutive games since 2015, and the first time scoring three rushing touchdowns in three consecutive games in franchise history.[50] Linebacker Frankie Luvu had 7 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery, with the defense having seven total sacks of Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.[50]
Tackle Andrew Wylie, defensive tackle Daron Payne, and long snapper Tyler Ott served as game captains.[51] Wide receiver Terry McLaurin caught two touchdowns, marking the first time in his career recording four touchdowns within four games.[52] Rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil recorded his first career interception off Lamar Jackson, giving the Commanders their first of the season.[52]
Guard Sam Cosmi and linebackers Frankie Luvu and Nick Bellore served as game captains.[53] The Commanders surpassed their win total of 4 from 2023 with a 40–7 win over the Carolina Panthers, their largest margin of victory since 2015.[54] Defensive end Dante Fowler returned an Andy Dalton interception 67 yards for a touchdown on the opening drive, the team's first defensive score of the season.[55] Quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a rib cartilage injury on his first drive and left the game, with backup Marcus Mariota going for 205 yards and two touchdowns.[55] The game also served as alumni homecoming, with Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Darrell Green, who spent his entire 20-year career with Washington, having his No. 28 jersey retired at halftime.[56]
Wide receiver Noah Brown, safety Quan Martin, and tight end John Bates served as game captains.[60] With the win, the Commanders swept the Giants for the first time since 2021.[61][62] The Giants entered the game leading the NFL in quarterback sacks but failed to record any for the first time in the season.[61] The win would also be Dan Quinn's 50th in his head coaching career.[62]
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin, linebacker Bobby Wagner, and safety Percy Butler served as game captains.[63]Zach Ertz surpassed Greg Olsen for sixth place in career tight end receptions while McLaurin surpassed Jerry Smith for sixth place in franchise receptions.[64] Defensive end Dante Fowler had his second consecutive game with two sacks, becoming the first Washington player to record multiple sacks in consecutive games since Ryan Kerrigan in 2017.[64]
WAS – Terry McLaurin – 5 receptions, 102 yards, TD
Center Tyler Biadasz, defense end Dante Fowler, and cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, who all played with the Cowboys in 2023, served as game captains.[67] The Commanders blocked a field goal and punt in the same game for the first time since 1977.[68] A total of 41 points were scored in the fourth quarter, including two kickoff return touchdowns by the Cowboys and an 86-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Terry McLaurin in the final seconds, the longest of his career, before kicker Austin Seibert missed the extra point to potentially tie it.[69] During the game, McLaurin surpassed former tight end Chris Cooley for fifth-most career receptions in team history.[68]
WAS – Brian Robinson Jr. – 16 rushes, 103 yards, TD
Top receivers
TEN – Nick Westbrook-Ikhine – 3 receptions, 61 yards, 2 TD
WAS – Terry McLaurin – 8 receptions, 73 yards, 2 TD
Quarterback Marcus Mariota, defensive tackle Sheldon Day, and punter Tress Way served as game captains.[70] In scoring 42 points, the Commanders matched a season high and
marked their first time since 1991 to score over 40 points in three or more games in a season.[71] The Commanders had 267 total rushing yards, their most since 2012, with the game being their first December home win since 2017.[71] Quarterback Jayden Daniels became the first rookie in NFL history to complete 80 percent of his passes, throw three touchdowns, and run for a touchdown in a single game, was the first quarterback for the team to record three passing touchdowns with a rushing touchdown since 2015, and also became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw for two touchdowns and rush for one in consecutive games since 1970.[71][72] Running back Brian Robinson Jr.'s 40 yard touchdown run set a career high and was also the longest rush by the team since 2019.[71] Linebacker Bobby Wagner surpassed 100 tackles for the season, extending his streak of doing so to 13 consecutive seasons.[71] Cornerback Mike Sainristil forced and recovered a fumble, both career firsts, becoming the third rookie in team history to have done so in a single game.[73]
Offensive tackles Trent Scott and Cornelius Lucas and defensive tackle Johnny Newton served as game captains.[74] With the win, Washington had their first winning season since 2016. Terry McLaurin became the first wide receiver for the team to record 10 or more touchdowns in a season since Gary Clark in 1992.[75] Quarterback Jayden Daniels became the third rookie in NFL history to pass for over 3,000 yards and rush for over 600 yards in a season as well as the fifth player and first rookie to have four games with completion percentage of at least 80% in a season.[a][75][76] Daniels was also sacked eight times, a season-high.[77]
Near the end of the fourth quarter, Saints tight end Foster Moreau was tackled near the goal line and side judge Jim Quirk signaled for the game clock to stop with nine seconds remaining before it restarted after approximately four seconds. The stoppage allowed for the Saints to spike the ball with three seconds remaining, with Moreau scoring a touchdown on the following play as time expired before an unsuccessful two-point conversion to win the game was attempted. Referee Shawn Hochuli stated after the game that the mistake was not reviewable.[78]
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin, linebacker Bobby Wagner, and safety Jeremy Reaves served as game captains.[79] The Commanders won despite 5 turnovers (three fumbles and two interceptions) for the first time since 2002, marking their first season with double-digit wins since 2012.[80][81]Jayden Daniels was the first Washington quarterback since Mark Rypien in 1991 and the sixth rookie in NFL history to throw five touchdowns in a game.[82][83] He also surpassed Robert Griffin III's franchise rookie record for passing and total yards in a season.[81]
McLaurin tied the franchise record for reception touchdowns in a season with 12, last done by Ricky Sanders in 1988, and surpassed 1,000 yards for the fifth consecutive season, also a franchise record.[81] Wide receivers Jamison Crowder and Olamide Zaccheaus both caught two touchdowns, marking the first time Washington had two players record multiple touchdown receptions in a single game since 1999.[81] Rookie wide receiver Luke McCaffrey recorded 180 return yards on kickoffs, the most by a Washington player since Brandon Banks in 2010. The win also gave Dan Quinn the most in a season for a first year head coach in franchise history.[81]
WAS – Olamide Zaccheaus – 8 receptions, 85 yards, TD
Played on Sunday Night Football, quarterback Jayden Daniels and linebackers Frankie Luvu and Nick Bellore served as game captains.[84][85] The Commanders would see their first overtime win since 2014 and first playoff berth since 2020.[86] Daniels had his first career 100-yard rushing game and set the NFL record for most rushing yards in a season by a rookie quarterback.[86] He also became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least two touchdowns and 200 yards with 65 rushing yards in three consecutive games.[87] The win also gave Adam Peters the most in a season for a first year general manager in franchise history.[86]
Tight end Zach Ertz, defensive end Dorance Armstrong, and safety Percy Butler served as game captains.[88] Quarterback Jayden Daniels would sit in the second half of the game due to leg soreness, with backup Marcus Mariota rushing for a touchdown and throwing a game-winning pass to wide receiver Terry McLaurin with two seconds left.[89] The touchdown catch gave McLaurin 13 for the season, a team record.[90]
^Campbell, Lauren (September 10, 2024). "How Caleb Williams, other rookies fared in Week 1 debut". MassLive. Retrieved September 10, 2024. Daniels rushed for two scores and became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 80 yards with two touchdowns in his first career game, per the Commanders.
^"Commanders-Cardinals Stats & Snaps". Commanders.com. September 30, 2024. Retrieved September 30, 2024. Wagner (1,734) has passed LB Zach Thomas (1,733) for the fourth-most tackles in NFL history.
^Washington Commanders [@Commanders] (October 4, 2024). "Week 5 captains" (Tweet). Retrieved November 13, 2024 – via Twitter.