The Green Bay Packers will sit out the NFC Championship watching two teams who helped end their season. In the Wild Card Round, the Eagles sent them packing with a 22-10 defeat that never felt all that close. The Washington Commanders rode a 5-0 late season surge to pass the Packers in the playoff standings, dropping them to the 7-seed and locking them that first round matchup with Philly.
Had they remained 6th, they would have played the Commanders’ opponent, the Buccaneers, instead. While Jordan Love & Co. weren’t beating anyone the way they performed against the Eagles, who did not even play well that game, Tampa Bay was certainly the preferable, more beatable opponent.
“Super Bowl or Bust” is the motto for some teams, but walking away with even a single playoff victory would have been less deflating than a first round flop.
It’s off to next year for the Packers and their fans, but the Commanders do have several free-agents-to-be to monitor this offseason.

Strong Second-Tier Options the Green Bay Packers Should Consider Among Washington Commanders Free Agents
Like the Eagles’ free agents, Washington’s relevant players are all defenders, plus-members of a collectively horrendous unit. Overall, they are not at quite the same premium level of Philadelphia’s walkers, making them more conservative, Plan B signings. Of course, Plan B exists for a reason, and these Commanders headed out the door are worth a look.
Linebacker
With the loss of Isaiah McDuffie and Eric Wilson, the Packers will need to re-sign them or find replacements to support top LBs Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper. Washington has one such pending departure, ranked 45th among those available. That would be Bobby Wagner, Super Bowl champ and 13-year pro.
Age is a concern for the 34-year-old Wagner, but his performance suggests he has plenty in the tank. In fact, the tackle machine set a career-high in pass rush grade (91.0 PFF) and since 2022 has churned out an overall score no lower than 82.4 each year.
As the saying goes, “The best ability is availability”; Wagner has missed all of 3 games since 2015 and none the past three seasons. Listed as questionable versus the Eagles, he was good to go against the Rams last week after bearing the same designation. On a one-year deal, he could be an impact signing for the Packers.

Edge Rusher
As part of an awful Washington defense, Dante Fowler Jr. registered a five-year high in sacks with 10.5 (he had one more in 2019 with the Rams). The 30-year-old linebacker also snagged the first pick of his career for a 67-yard score.
While he could do better against the run, ranking 170th out of 211, his pass rush grade brings his overall score to 62.1, good for 100th. If the Packers can’t land a top-end edge player like Khalil Mack or the Eagles’ own Josh Sweat, Fowler provides a decent backup plan.
3rd Option Could Pass Packers Starter on the Depth Chart
Secondary
Green Bay’s main issue is at cornerback, with Eric Stokes and Carrington Valentine becoming free agents and Jaire Alexander being shopped after another injury-riddled season. Keisean Nixon is the roster’s only other starter. But free agency has also affected the safety position via Zayne Anderson’s expiring contract.
In 2024, the Packers already had standout Xavier McKinney (8 INTS last season), Javon Bullard, and Evan Williams ahead of Anderson on the depth chart, but Commanders safety Jeremy Chinn could take his spot next season–and maybe even supersede Bullard, who took the second most snaps of Green Bay safeties but posted a bottom quartile PFF grade.

In his fifth year in the league and his first with Washington, Chinn registered a grade 17 points higher (69.0, 50th/171) while providing superior run defense and far better pass coverage than Bullard.
In the end there can only be one winner, with one less NFC contestant after this weekend–something to find comfort in while fans watch Sunday’s Packer-less reindeer games and keep an eye on opposing free agents.
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