ASHBURN, Va. (7News) — After Washington was one win away from last year’s Super Bowl, NFL veteran running back Austin Ekeler is focused on what the Commanders need to do to get themselves back in that position.

“It’s been a reset button for us, reset the clock, reset the mindset, continue to build back the culture that we had, the standards that we had last year,” Ekeler told 7News Sport Anchor Natalie Spala.

“For us, it’s all about bringing us back together and getting all of us going in the right direction.”

Entering the ninth year of his NFL career and his second in Washington, Ekeler admits he still looks for ways to improve his own game and stay sharp.

“As far as my mindset, I’ve got everything to prove every single year, because this is a hard league. You have to stay competitive, you have to continue to work, you have to continue to prove that you belong here,” he said.

The same can be said about the Commanders’ running back room. Head coach Dan Quinn preaches competition and although that’s something Ekeler and the backs live by, they also share a strong bond.

“When we push each other, when we raise the level of play, the people around us also have to uphold that standard,” Ekeler said. “We always come together, preach words of wisdom, make sure we’re in the right mindset before we go on the field and when we come off.”

Ekeler is also noticing quarterback Jayden Daniels step into a bigger leadership role as he enters his second year.

“I think with anything as a human, as you continue to become more comfortable and more familiar with something, your capacity to take on more increases, and so that’s exactly what we’re seeing with him,” Ekeler said. “He’s become more vocal out there, and so, that’s what I’ve seen with him.”

Ekeler also has a message to Commanders’ fans and the DMV: “You can expect everything for us to continue to go forward. We can’t guarantee things, but one thing that we can give you is that we are putting in all the work to make sure that we give the best foot forward, and it leads to some wins out here on Sundays.”