Jan. 30, 2026, 5:30 a.m. ET

Hey, Washington Commanders‘ fans, how many of you remember John Schneider with the Redskins?

The current GM of the Seattle Seahawks has once again been busy making moves to keep the Seahawks competitive, and now the current NFC Champions are headed to Super Bowl LX to face the New England Patriots. But at one time, Schneider would drive to work right in Ashburn.

Schneider had served as director of pro personnel for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1997-1999, who were coached by Marty Schottenheimer. After Redskins owner Daniel Snyder fired head coach Norv Turner near the end of the 2000 season, he hired Schottenheimer as head coach and de facto general manager. Schottenheimer then sought Schneider out to serve as his vice president of player personnel.

Schottenheimer inherited a mess of a salary cap situation, so he determined to strip down some of Snyder’s foolish spending and take hits for the 2001 season. The Redskins started 0-5, but played much better the rest of the way, finishing 8-8. However, after the season concluded, Snyder, perhaps realizing he had lost far more control than he had imagined, fired Schottenheimer and Schneider.

The franchise would head south as Snyder replaced them with Steve Spurrier and Vinny Cerrato. Schottenheimer was quickly hired by the San Diego Chargers, enjoying winning success, while Schneider was quickly grabbed up by the Green Bay Packers, hired to be their top personnel aide to the general manager, and then the director of football operations from 2002-2009.

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In 2010, Schneider left the Packers for a chance to become the top executive in the Seahawks’ football operations. All Schneider did was draft Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Russell Okung, Richard Sherman, Bobby Wagner, Russell Wilson and other stars. The Seahawks won a Super Bowl (2013) and lost another in the final seconds (2014).

From 2022-2024, the Seahawks again assembled a good roster around quarterback Geno Smith, but they finished 9-8, 9-8, and 10-7. Schneider decided they needed to make a move at quarterback, signing free agent Sam Darnold. Thus, the Seahawks were 14-3 this season and are in another Super Bowl. It was also Schneider who led the hiring of new head coach Mike Macdonald after the 2023 season.

Finally, Schneider has made NFL history, becoming the first NFL GM to take two teams to the Super Bowl, with no players on either roster who played on Schneider’s first two Super Bowl teams.

Schneider is still only 54. That means Snyder fired Schneider when he was only 30. What might have been in Washington? Thanks, Daniel Snyder, you did it again.