The Washington Commanders were busy this offseason. After surprising everyone by going 12-5 and making it to the NFC championship game, general manager Adam Peters was busy improving the roster to get past the Philadelphia Eagles.

Peters traded for veteran stars Laremy Tunsil and Deebo Samuel to keep franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels upright and give him more weapons. Peters used free agency and the NFL draft to bulk up the offensive line and add cornerback depth. Washington also re-signed several key free agents, such as linebacker Bobby Wagner, tight ends Zach Ertz and John Bates and quarterback Marcus Mariota. However, the Commanders also let some talented players leave, too.

Advertisement

The most notable departures were safety Jeremy Chinn, offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas, wide receiver Dyami Brown, and edge Dante Fowler Jr. You could make a case why each player’s departure will have the biggest impact on the 2025 Commanders.

NFL.com recently named some player departures that will have the biggest impact on their former teams and chose Fowler for the Commanders.

Fowler was a tremendous value last season, racking up a team-high 10.5 sacks for Dan Quinn’s defense while playing on a one-year deal for less than $5 million. Fowler was due for a raise and received one from the Cowboys this offseason, while Washington is hoping Dorance Armstrong can step up in his second year with the team after signing a three-year, $33 million deal last offseason. If Armstrong can produce like Fowler did, the change won’t matter much, but Armstrong has never cracked double-digit sacks in his seven-year career.

Fowler will be missed, but Peters was uncomfortable with giving Fowler a significant raise based on last season. Fowler struggled to stop the run, which was never more evident than in the NFC championship game. Dan Quinn would’ve preferred to have kept Fowler, but Fowler’s asking price was too much. While Fowler had 10.5 sacks last season, it was only the second time he’d ever recorded double-digit sacks in his 10-year career.

The Commanders will count on Armstrong, Frankie Luvu, Javontae Jean-Baptiste and others to bring the pass rush in 2025. Washington could still bring in a veteran pass rusher before the season begins.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Which free-agent loss will most impact 2025 Commanders?