The Washington Commanders were the NFL’s biggest surprise in 2024, becoming the latest “worst-to-first” story. Washington’s turnaround wasn’t typical, as the Commanders went from four wins to 12. Washington also won two playoff games and appeared in the NFC championship game.
Most impressively, the Commanders made the turnaround with a roster of over 30 new players. While rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is the headliner, Washington received contributions from many newcomers.
Which contributor was the biggest surprise?
NFL.com named a surprise contributor for all 32 teams, with veteran edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. earning the award for the Commanders.
Fowler led the Commanders with 10.5 sacks and was second with 45 QB pressures, per NGS. The veteran’s 14.6 pressure percentage led all pass rushers on Dan Quinn’s squad. Playing a rotational role, Fowler was asked to get after the QB, and he did that with aplomb. Fowler’s 3.4 percent sack rate ranked No. 4 in the NFL (per NGS, min. 200 pass rush snaps). Quinn’s defense played greater than the sum of its parts for much of the season. Fowler’s ability to affect the passer, after years of mostly underwhelming as a former top-three pick, underscores that production.
Fowler’s 10.5 sacks were one short of his career-high 11.5. It was an impressive bounce-back performance from Fowler in his 10th NFL season. Fowler combined for 17.5 sacks over the past four seasons before he arrived in Washington.
Fowler now has the opportunity to explore free agency again, but a return to Washington under Quinn makes sense for Fowler. While he’s more of a situational pass rusher at this stage of his career, he proved he’s a very good one.