https://washingtonsun.com/sports Sports en-US Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:13:40 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/sports/nationals-blown-saves-record Jesse Dougherty The Nationals have blown more saves than any team in MLB history. But there's more to it than just an embarrassing record. Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:13:40 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/sports/nationals-blown-saves-record For the Nationals, unwanted history looked a lot like the slow and painful march to it. When the eighth inning began in San Diego on Tuesday night, they had a three-run lead. When it ended, they trailed by a run in an eventual 5-4 loss to the Padres. In between, they blew a save for the 38th time this season, an MLB record that speaks for itself, both loudly and plainly.

This bullpen has not been good at doing the basic job of a bullpen, which is to take leads at some point in the middle to late inning and ferry them into the win column. And this blown save, like many before it, was a team effort, starting when Jared Simpson, a 26-year-old lefty, walked the bases loaded with no outs. Those were the only three batters he faced. Behind him, Erik Tolman, a 27-year-old lefty, allowed a sacrifice fly, then a soft single up the middle — a hit that floated just past his glove — that brought in the two runs that tied the score.

That was No. 38, which felt all too predictable once Simpson couldn’t find the strike zone. How the Nats got here … well, you lived it. There was that eight-run lead that evaporated in San Francisco. There were those crushing games against the Phillies in June, back when the season still had juice. Then, fatefully, there was Tuesday night. The relievers for the 2024 White Sox, the team that lost the most games in modern history, are officially off the hook. Tolman, Clatyon Beeter, Mitchell Parker, Orlando Ribalta, Richard Lovelady, Tom Cosgrove, Brad Lord, Cole Henry, Yovanny Cruz, PJ Poulin, Gus Varland, Matt Krook, Ken Waldichuk, Riley Cornelio, Paxton Schultz and Max Kranick have the watch now.

That’s every reliever who’s blown a save for Washington this season. There are, of course, other ways to illustrate what this Nationals season has dissolved into. After the loss to the Padres on Tuesday, the Nats have dropped six in a row. They have also lost 20 of their last 22 road games. The blown saves, though, have become the billboard for everything wrong with the Nationals in 2026. I get it, too, given that it’s a stat that shows how often a glaring team weakness has directly contributed to losses.

But the blown saves are not a 2-D story, no matter how simple it’s felt whenever the thin wall between dread and hope has collapsed. Case in point: Now that the Nationals have set the record, it will be tempting to refer to their bullpen as historically bad. But as it stands, their bullpen ERA — 5.09 through Tuesday— is a half run better than where it settled last season (5.59). The 2025 team, however, finished with just 20 blown saves, which was mostly because it had far fewer leads to protect. And this is where the emotional calculus of this year’s pen gets a third dimension, if not a fourth and fifth.

It was immediately clear that in the first year under Paul Toboni, the club’s new president of baseball operations, the bats were way, way ahead of the arms. The blown saves have been the most on-the-nose example of that. They’ve also shown how the Nats’ early, unexpected success has warped the experience of following a team that wasn’t initially penciled in for so many late leads.

In spite of trades and recent injuries to key hitters, the Nationals’ offense still ranks second in runs and homers, a contrast to the team’s record of 67-80. The bullpen, then, has been the heaviest counterweight while pitching the second-most relief innings in the league. Between personnel decisions, in-game strategy and player development, dissecting the team’s pitching process should be a major focus of the offseason, which is to say nothing of the need to spend more across the roster, not just on relievers, to compete more in 2027.

But in the moment, the blown saves feel, at least in part, like a wonky blip of an interrupted growth curve. It was as if the Nats were gifted a fancy grill — stick with me, that’s the offense — while living in an apartment with no outdoor space. (Ownership choosing to live in said apartment for another year is a story for a different day.)

None of that’s to say this Nats bullpen is misunderstood or something. It is perfectly understood as downright abysmal. And what’s that prescient George Orwell bit from 1984? The one that goes … “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” A bit heavy-handed for baseball, maybe, but the point is it’s just not what we’re doing here. That is someone else’s job.

But if the blown saves are to explain what ultimately felled the Nationals’ season, it feels useful — important, even — to point out how so many happened. The biggest reason is that the team’s relievers have struggled with two central goals of pitching: throwing strikes and limiting hard contact. A close second, though, is all those leads existing in the first place. Again, taken together, it’s another way to describe how the first four months of 2026 could shape the entire public perception of the Toboni-Blake Butera era (or at least the start of it). The team wasn’t built to win, then the offense raked enough to hang on the edge of the playoff race through mid-July. But because it wasn’t built to win, the Nats spent no money on the bullpen over the winter, which slowed the whole thing down until the wheels fell off.

If, as a fan, you knew a season was lost from the beginning — if that were somehow a guarantee — you might sign up for a lower bullpen ERA with a higher number of blown saves. The latter, you might figure, would be arbitrary in the grand scheme. But a lower ERA, even by half a run, would maybe portend better for future years, when your team finally spends on its roster again. (That’s just never a guarantee, either, which you know if you live in D.C.)

This summer, though, because of James Wood, CJ Abrams, Luis García Jr. and Curtis Mead, among others, rational and dispassionate started mixing with emotional and reactionary. That’s never not tricky for a fan base, especially when it comes ahead of schedule. If you live in D.C., you also know that to be true now. Because on one hand, many of the rotating bullpen arms, guys like Krook, Kranick and Cosgrove, were always more likely to be trivia answers than actual solutions. This was by design, too, at least in the sense that the front office didn’t expect to have one of the league’s best offenses. But once that offense kept mashing, the blown saves were the worst possible outcome, no matter if another form of torture would have painted an even bleaker statistical picture.

The real question, then, has little to do with blown saves or ERA or (fill in your advanced pitching analytic of choice). It’s whether a problem born of unforeseen expectations is better or worse than having no immediate problems at all.]]> https://washingtonsun.com/sports/10-most-important-commanders-2026-ranking Martenzie Johnson From a rookie kicker to the franchise quarterback, these players will need to produce. Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:48:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/sports/10-most-important-commanders-2026-ranking Around this time last season, vibes were high in D.C. The Commanders were coming off an impromptu trip to the NFC championship game, and it seemed like the stench of the previous 25 years had finally been fumigated.

But things fell apart quickly. The team won seven less games than it did in 2024, Jayden Daniels spent more time on the bench than he did under center and several players who were supposed to be difference-makers turned out to be nonfactors.

With a new NFL season kicking off today, let’s look at the players who will shape this year in Washington. If everything goes right with this group of 10, there’s a chance the Commanders can make it one game further than they did in 2024. If not, this fall could be a sequel to 2025.

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10. Drew Stevens

Here’s some trivia for you: How many kickers have attempted at least one field goal for the Commanders since the 2016 season? The answer: 11.

Washington’s kicking game has been so inconsistent that in two of those seasons (2021 and 2024) it used four kickers. After a camp battle with incumbent veteran Jake Moody, the Commanders are hoping Stevens, a rookie out of Iowa, is the answer.

He was consistent throughout camp and connected from 60-plus yards on multiple occasions. For a team that finished 8-5 in one-score games two years ago and 2–5 in those contests last year, having a reliable kicker is of the utmost importance.

9. Sonny Styles

Last season the Commanders missed the second-most tackles (131) in the NFL, according to Pro Football Reference. Washington also allowed the third-most rushing yards.

Washington is banking on Styles, who totaled 182 tackles and 17 tackles for loss his final two seasons at Ohio State, to shore up those areas. The No. 7 overall pick brings exceptional quickness and instincts to the linebacker position, in part because he used to play safety. While few of those traits stood out in limited snaps across two preseason games, Styles has played well in practice, showing an ability to hit running gaps with speed and blow up plays before they have a chance to start.

Bill Croskey-Merritt AP - 25278805543622 (4359x2906, AR: 1.50)
8. Bill Croskey-Merritt

There’s no doubt the Commanders offense runs through Daniels, but if the quarterback has any shot at recapturing his magic from 2024, he’ll need help from his lead running back. Offensive coordinator David Blough’s system will lean heavily on play-action and bootlegs, and those play calls only work if there’s a dependable run game.

Croskey-Merritt showed flashes of his light feet, speed and power last season, particularly against the Chargers in Week 5 (16 touches for 150 yards and two touchdowns), but lacked consistency. His offseason dedication to conditioning and pass-catching has impressed the coaching staff, but time will tell if he can be a reliable, every-down back.

7. Terry McLaurin

There are few Commanders more eager to not talk about last season than McLaurin. After five straight 1,000-yard seasons, the wide receiver finished 2025 with career lows in receptions (38), yards (582) and touchdowns (3). That was due in part to a training camp holdout and a quad injury that limited him to 10 games, a career low.

Based on the explosive plays he’s made through training camp, McLaurin looks like his normal self this year. Plus, the arrival of Stefon Diggs means he doesn’t have to carry the receivers room on his back anymore.

6. Nick Allegretti

Throughout training camp, Washington’s interior offensive line struggled to give Daniels and company enough time to make plays. And it wasn’t just on pass plays: Commanders running backs averaged 3.6 yards per carry this preseason, which would have tied for last in the league in 2025.

Coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters have stressed all offseason that Allegretti, the team’s presumed starter at center, is the answer to these problems. The only issue is that Allegretti only practiced a handful of times during camp. If Allegretti, who has only 178 career snaps at center in the NFL, isn’t the answer then the Washington offense will struggle to reach its potential.

5. Stefon Diggs

If Diggs lives up to his own statement that he is the league’s best No. 2 receiver, then the Commanders’ passing attack will be unlike anything we’ve seen in years. Washington has long needed someone opposite McLaurin who can reliably beat coverage and make tough catches, and Diggs has proven that throughout his 12-year career.

Whether lining up in the slot or on the outside, Diggs has proven to be a reliable safety valve for every quarterback he’s played with. He and Daniels formed an immediate connection in training camp despite Diggs showing up on Aug. 7.

4. Amik Robertson

While the Commanders’ defensive production will be heavily dependent on the front seven (more below), they will need above-average play from their defensive backs. Defensive coordinator Daronte Jones comes from a Vikings team that had the highest blitz rate (48%) and eighth-highest zone coverage rate (77.1%) last season, according to Sharp Football Analysis.

This means that if the pass rush doesn’t get to the quarterback, then the defensive backs will be stuck covering large swaths of field for long periods of time. With incumbent starter Trey Amos out with an ankle injury for at least the first four games of the season, Washington will depend heavily on Robertson, who mostly lined up on the outside in camp, and the rest of the defensive backs to hold up in coverage.

The only issue? Robertson allowed the third-most passing yards (808) in coverage last year with the Lions, according to Next Gen Stats. (Washington’s Mike Sainristil ranked fifth.)

Robertson has shown the ability to provide sticky coverage and blow up plays, but without a better showing from him this year, Commanders will finish near the bottom of the league in passing yards allowed for a second straight season.

Odafe Oweh AP - 25323687165192 (6602x4401, AR: 1.50)
3. Odafe Oweh

All that being said, Robertson and company may not have to hold their coverage for that long.

The Commanders completely retooled their front seven this offseason, bringing in rookie Styles and free agents Tim Settle, K’Lavon Chaisson and Oweh to shore up a unit that forced the seventh-fewest pressures (121) despite tying for the eighth-most sacks (42) in 2025.

Oweh, who spent last season with the Ravens and Chargers, was an unstoppable force throughout camp, mucking up nearly every play he was on the field for. Last season he was the second-best edge rusher behind only Micah Parsons, according to ESPN’s pass rush win rate formula. If opposing quarterbacks have to worry about Oweh getting to them this season, that opens up opportunities for the 10 other defenders to make a game-changing play.

2. Brandon Coleman

The interior offensive line has rightfully borne the brunt of the criticism this offseason, but Coleman is the most important member of the unit. After Washington lost starting left tackle Laremy Tunsil, Coleman was thrust back into the role he played as a rookie in 2024.

There’s no replacing a five-time Pro Bowler like Tunsil, but Coleman has done his best impression since taking over in early August. He’s held his own in practice against the Commanders edge rushers and in the three snaps he saw in the preseason against Detroit. Washington is hoping he can keep that form as the season gets going.

1. Jayden Daniels

No surprise here. The main difference between an NFC championship game appearance in 2024 and a 5-12 flameout last fall was Daniels’ availability. He started and finished just four games last season compared to 15 games the year before.

When Daniels is on the field, he’s one of the most electric players in all of football. As a rookie, he ranked sixth in completion percentage (69%) and 10th in passing touchdowns (25) while also ranking second among quarterbacks in rushing yards (891). His 64 rushing first downs ranked 10th among all rushers.

Under Blough, Daniels is expected to play more under center, use more huddles and be allowed to make more decisions at the line. The hope is that this will keep the defense guessing and lead to more explosive plays.

But if the offensive line can’t hold up, or Daniels continues to take the hits that caused him to miss 10 games last year, it won’t really matter how well Coleman or Oweh or Diggs performs. The Commanders will only go as far as Daniels takes them.
]]> https://washingtonsun.com/sports/jayden-daniels-commanders-thomas-boswell Thomas Boswell D.C. hasn’t had a franchise quarterback in more than 50 years. For Daniels to get there, he first needs to survive. Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:48:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/sports/jayden-daniels-commanders-thomas-boswell Save Jayden Daniels.

That is all that the Washington Commanders season should be about.

You can develop young players, master new systems and win when you can. That will help for years. But not if JD5 becomes RGIV.

From the top down, but especially with new offensive coordinator David Blough and Daniels himself, the imperative must be to maximize the chance that Daniels will still be the team’s QB1 — and a better, more developed quarterback — in ’30. And ’35, when he'll still only be 34.

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Deferred gratification tastes bitter. This season is spinach so that the next 10 years can be, mostly, cake and ice cream.

Washington hasn’t had a quarterback with “franchise” level talent in over 50 years. Despite a step backward in every metric in ’25, Daniels still has it — if he survives to develop it fully.

Even when things look bleak, you may get a lucky break in the midst of the mess. That good fortune for Washington is the arrival of Blough.
David Blough (4838x3226, AR: 1.50)His system, largely learned from Ben Johnson in Detroit and Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota, uses every NFL theory that preserves the health and maximizes the weapons of a star quarterback over a long career.

By no coincidence whatsoever, Blough replaces his style-box antithesis, sugar-high coordinator Kliff Kingsbury — thanks for ’24, Kliff! — and his college-style spread offense. Unfortunately, the Kingsbury shotgun often seemed aimed at the slender Daniels’ head.

In ’24, Daniels escaped, brilliantly, despite three games in which he carried the ball 16 times. In ’25, Daniels led NFL QBs in carries per game (8.3). But there were only seven such games because he was hurt four times.

His knee was sprained while scrambling between the tackles in a blowout loss to Green Bay. His left elbow was gruesomely dislocated, bent completely the wrong way like a hinged toy, when he was asked to run near the goal line with the team down 38-7. Narrow the score so the coaches don’t look so bad? Two weeks later — sickeningly — he was back. And blasted again.

Suddenly, everybody got it: Save Jayden Daniels.

Now, we’ll find out: Can they?

Before their opener Sunday against the Eagles in Philly, the Commanders have headaches. The defense, which couldn’t stop anybody last season (last in yards allowed), is dealing with injury issues.

The offense, which added free agent wide receiver Stefon Diggs to complement Terry McLaurin, now has an offensive line in total flux. "Flux" being the technical term for OMG!

The great left tackle Laremy Tunsil, Daniels’ blind side protector, will miss most, if not all of the season with a torn triceps. After the team released solid center Tyler Biadasz in February, presumably to save salary cap space, it is now almost naked at the position. Will ex-guard Nick Allegretti, out for weeks this summer with a calf injury, be ready for Philly? Maybe. Otherwise, a sixth-round rookie will start at center. Light a candle.

The starting O-line on the depth chart has had z-e-r-o reps together — ever.

Fortunately, time passes. Injuries heal. On a team that won only five games last year and is predicted to win seven in ’26, the proper view is the long view. That’s why I can’t wait to see if Daniels adapts, grows and, in time, flourishes in a Blough system that looks heaven-sent for him.

It’ll take time. But, with Daniels in the Blough system, what should we look for?

In recent years, the NFL has trended toward running more plays with the quarterback under center. The leaders last year were the Rams (60% ), the champion Seahawks (55), Bills (51), Lions (49) and Bears (49). Lots of success there.

In ’25, Daniels ran only 5.8% of plays under center. Look for an eight-times increase?

Why go under center? Because, since the T-formation was born, the run game works better that way; it’s more deceptive and versatile. On the handoff, or fake, the QB’s back is to the defense, his body deliberately blocking their view of the ball. (Daniels’ crafty temperament should love the upgrade from the pro-forma fakes in the gun to the hard fakes of a dedicated ball-handling magician under center.)

For a split second, nobody knows who has it. Linebackers hesitate. Defensive backs have a harder read, too, and are more vulnerable to deep play-action passes. Blocking angles and ability to run “outside zone” plays are better. (You don’t need to take it from me, a mediocre ex-high school QB during the Mesozoic era; there are whole books on this.)

Star coaches Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan and Johnson all preach this sermon as the NFL becomes a more run-centric league. In ’25, 17 players rushed for 1,000 yards. In ’15, it was seven.

The better you run the ball, the more you neutralize the defense’s pass rush. Play action also opens up rollouts, which get a mobile passer like Daniels away from traffic, and violence. If he’s willing to focus downfield on the throw, rather than the brave gain-a-few run which too often tempts him, it’s win-win.

Blough also prefers to huddle up, not play fast-break style. Kingsbury’s idea was to play so fast that defenses couldn’t change personnel packages, or call complex pressures as much as they liked. This made the QB’s job of defense recognition easier. But the spread is also a more predictable offense with fewer ways to do what Blough loves: “Spread the field horizontally and vertically.” (Oh, no, more X-and-O books.)

However, when you huddle, the defense can organize itself to call any complex lying, shifting picture that it wants before the snap; so, as Daniels turns his back to handoff, fake or drop back, by the time he turns around he may see a horrifyingly different defensive look.

Being under center helps you deceive them. But it can help them deceive you, too.

From new footwork to reading through a “pure progression” passing game like Blough’s, where you sift through your receivers in a predetermined order, Daniels has work to do. That’s understandable; even though everyone who’s coached Daniels raves about his high football IQ, it’s tough to ask a rookie to have a PhD in reading NFL defenses. But this is Daniels’ third year. He should be on schedule, maybe not early in ’26, but over time — or whenever he finally has a functional O-line — to prove that he’s a studious, observant quarterback who wins the brain game. Under Blough, Daniels will also have more control at the line to get out of “bad plays” before the snap and get swamped-and-stomped less often.

That doesn’t mean the Commanders will completely discard favorite Daniels plays from the past. You haven't seen the last read option. But, as Daniels told The Athletic last week, “Let’s [just] say there will be less designed quarterback runs.” (If there aren’t, after ’25, someone should be fired.)
Jayden Daniels Seahawks (5915x3944, AR: 1.50)But the final, and biggest piece of the “Save Jayden Daniels” puzzle is Daniels himself. He has shown little inclination to stay behind the line, looking to pass, once he has scrambled successfully and established a “second pocket.” He ran more and passed less (39%) than any QB in scramble situations last year. Only two others were barely under 50%. Most learn, “Look long, look medium, throw it away.”

From a child, Daniels has made Superman Plays. They draw awe, not just success. Is that showmanship, leadership and pride so deep in his personality that he can't or won't change it?

Daniels needs models. Whether it’s Patrick Mahomes, or prime Aaron Rodgers, or long-ago Roger Staubach, there have been Hall of Fame quarterbacks who scrambled all over the field. But most were waiting for a big play to open up down the field, not for a chance to gain 10 yards and get blown up. Roger The Dodger averaged 3.1 runs per game. From age 26 to 33, Rodgers averaged 3.6 runs. For Mahomes, 3.9 a game.

If it’s enough for them, it ought to be for Daniels. You don’t run when a first down is on the line. You run when the game is on the line.

The NFL is human demolition derby. Switching to a less self-destructive offense improves your odds. Nothing makes you safe. Until the line is functional, which may not be until Tunsil is back, Daniels will be tempted to “save the day.” So, go on and worry.

As always, at least for the last 57 years since Vince Lombardi came to D.C. to coach, fans of the Commanders are insanely optimistic. If the experts say “seven wins,” then they start counting at 10. You can’t tell ’em anything, bless their hearts. Often, they even refuse to believe a whole season’s worth of final scores.

Everybody, including Daniels, needs a serving of reality and deferred gratification. No one will remember whether Washington won the Super Bowl this year, because they won’t.

But we’ll remember whether Jayden Daniels survived and if he improved. That “scoreboard” will impact the next decade.]]> https://washingtonsun.com/sports/washington-commanders-preseason-rankings-analysis Alex Schiffer Ahead of a pivotal year, coach Dan Quinn’s team has not received a lot of love from analysts. Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:15:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/sports/washington-commanders-preseason-rankings-analysis The Commanders open a third season under coach Dan Quinn on Sunday with an afternoon matchup against the Eagles.

After a dream campaign in 2024, last year did not go to plan for Washington and the team finished 5-12. Projections for this year are wide-ranging, with a few analysts hopeful for the Commanders but many expecting a long season.

What They’re Saying

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons said on a recent podcast that the Commanders are a “lock” to finish under the 7.5 wins FanDuel has projected for the team.

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“They lost [Laremy] Tunsil for the season and I didn’t like their offensive line to begin with,” Simmons said. “If you’re reading the day-to-day reports, really rough stuff with the offensive line. Which, normally not everybody has a good offensive line — but their quarterback is 127 pounds. So the skinny quarterback who got hurt last year combined with nobody who can block? I’m out.”

ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky named the Commanders the league’s most confusing team in an interview with Dan Patrick on Friday. Orlovsky cited the Commanders’ busy offseason and 31-year-old David Blough as a first-time offensive coordinator among his concerns with the organization.

“What’s the offensive actually going to be?” Orlovsky said. “You lose your left tackle who you just made the highest-paid left tackle in football and all your fans are like, ‘We'll be OK.’ Those two things can't happen at the same time. … It's an unbelievably expensive defense but a little bit unproven. …”

“And so it could go really good if they gel and those high-end-paid players play at such a high level and the free agent signings and the draft picks play at such a high level. Or it could be a season of question, of, ‘OK where is this organization headed,’ and a second year of maybe some up and down from Jayden Daniels. I’m bullish on them, but I’m just not all in.”

Power Rankings 

Yahoo! Sports has the Commanders in its “work to do” category, citing player development and injury luck as two factors that could define the season.

Similarly, CBS Sports ranked the team in the C tier of its power rankings, which is for teams that could make the playoffs if everything goes right.

ESPN has the Commanders 20th in its power rankings, one spot lower than where the network ranked the team after last spring’s draft.

The Athletic recently ranked the Commanders 13th of the 16 teams in its NFC power ranking and put Washington 23rd in its league ranking before training camp. The NFC ranking was conducted with multiple team executives weighing in. One executive told The Athletic that a healthy Daniels is enough to make up for the numerous question marks surrounding the team.

"They get Jayden back, and Terry McLaurin will be healthy," the executive told The Athletic. "They've added some really good parts defensively in free agency. They have to get the offensive line solidified."

Another executive was much less optimistic.

"I think they are going to be bad," they said. "The quarterback is talented, but his style of play, unless he changes it, is a concern. The weapons around him are OK, but I don't think it's a dynamic team offensively. Defensively, they plateaued."

Long odds

The sportsbooks have a similar take, giving Washington long odds to make a real impact this season. On Monday at FanDuel, the Commanders were (+265) to make the playoffs, (+550) to win the division and (+6500) to win the Super Bowl. The odds at DraftKings are similar. Essentially, the books think the Commanders have less than a 30% chance to make the playoffs.]]> https://washingtonsun.com/sports/dc-maryland-virginia-high-school-football-players-week-2 Noah Ferguson This weekend’s standouts included a bruising back from Gonzaga and a ball hawk from C.G. Woodson. Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:05:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/sports/dc-maryland-virginia-high-school-football-players-week-2 With Maryland public schools kicking off this past weekend, high school football season is officially in full swing in the D.C. area. Here’s who made their mark in Week 2:

David Anderson, senior, quarterback, Theodore Roosevelt

With Anderson under center, the Roughriders’ offense exploded in a season-opening 40-15 victory over KIPP. The senior torched the Bulldogs, passing for 252 passing and three touchdowns. He also added a fourth score on the ground as Roosevelt kicked off a new year with a statement victory. Anderson’s connection with senior wide receiver Gabe Hudgens could make for one of the strongest combinations in the city as coach Chris Harden’s team looks to bounce back from last year’s dramatic playoff loss to Dunbar.

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Asheton Burton, senior, running back, Gonzaga

After a slew of early turnovers Thursday against Coolidge, Gonzaga’s offense needed a spark. With the game still scoreless midway through the second quarter, the Eagles handed the ball to Burton, the team’s bruising running back, nine straight times and the senior marched his team down the field. Burton scored from 2 yards out for the game’s first points, then pulled off a second-half hat trick with three more touchdown runs as Gonzaga rolled to a 33-0 victory. Burton’s final touchdown run of the night was arguably his most impressive as he bulldozed his way through a horde of Coolidge defenders for a 14-yard score.

Corey Smith Jr., junior, wide receiver, Good Counsel

The Falcons earned their first win of the Sal Gorgone era in thrilling fashion Friday, turning New Jersey powerhouse Bergen Catholic away at the goal line in the closing seconds of the game to seal a 41-39 win. Smith, a towering 6-foot-5, 210-pound receiver whose Division I offer list includes Maryland and Virginia Tech, caught three touchdowns and racked up 131 receiving yards. “What a beautiful athlete,” Gorgone said of Smith after the win. “He’s a playmaker, and he makes those plays in clutch moments.”

Darren Theobald, senior, defensive back, C.G. Woodson

Theobald pulled down three interceptions for the Cavaliers in Thursday’s 28-7 victory over Edison. The first came on the game’s opening drive, when the senior grabbed an Eagles pass in the corner of the end zone to squash Edison’s momentum. The second came with the game knotted at 7 in the third quarter, and it was followed by a long Woodson touchdown drive. Theobald’s busy night peaked in the fourth quarter when he hauled in a 33-yard receiving touchdown at wide receiver before switching to defense and snatching a third pick to clinch a victory. Theobald and the Cavaliers will look to replicate their defensive performance next week against Oakton, whose high-powered offense is averaging 49 points per game.

Jamie White Jr., senior, defensive back, Quince Orchard

It didn’t take long for White, a senior transfer from St. Frances, to make an impact with the Cougars. In his first game, the defensive back nabbed an interception on the first play from scrimmage. It would be his first of three on the night. The Cougars, two-time defending Maryland 4A champions, earned their 28th straight victory with a 28-0 win over Paint Branch. With White and three-star senior Rico Jackson patrolling the secondary and senior Pittsburgh commit Jaheim Bond wreaking havoc up front, coach John Kelley’s defense is again among the area’s best.

To nominate a local player for next week’s roundup, send us an email with their name and stats. See last week’s selections here.]]> https://washingtonsun.com/sports/cathy-engelbert-wnba-commissioner-retirement Alex Schiffer Engelbert oversaw unprecedented growth, but has been criticized for her handling of the outward-facing elements of the job. Fri, 04 Sep 2026 16:42:56 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/sports/cathy-engelbert-wnba-commissioner-retirement The questions surrounding Cathy Engelbert’s future have been answered.

The WNBA commissioner will retire at the end of the season, she said Friday in a statement. The 61-year-old New Jersey native has been in the role for seven years.

“Over the years, it has been amazing to watch WNBA players thrive and lead the massive cultural surge around women's sports,” Engelbert said. “I retire knowing we have built something bigger, stronger and more enduring than we could have imagined. I am grateful to the WNBA and NBA team owners and staff, players, investors, fans and the powerhouse league office staff, who believed in what this league could become.”

In her seven years as commissioner, Engelbert oversaw unprecedented growth for the WNBA — including an expansion from 12 to 15 teams, with plans to reach 18 by 2030. In 2024, she helped secure a media rights deal for 11 years and worth $3.1 billion. She also raised $75 million in capital for the league in 2022.

But for all of her business acumen, Engelbert was frequently scrutinized for her handling of the more outward-facing elements her job required. This included the criticism that she was unable to develop meaningful relationships with the league’s best players, which reached its apex last fall when Lynx star Napheesa Collier called the WNBA’s leadership the “worst in the world” in a damning news conference.

Collier’s comments came before the league and its union negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement that was finalized in May and lasts until 2032. But even though the new CBA brought player salaries over $1 million for the first time in the WNBA’s 30-year history, it did little to quiet speculation about Engelbert’s job security, about which NBA commissioner Adam Silver was publicly noncommittal.

Engelbert has also drawn scrutiny for her handling of player discipline — including the suspension of Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas for a hard foul of Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, which reportedly required Silver to intervene — and for the league’s inability to disentangle from culture-war issues that have often risked overshadowing the on-court product.

“Cathy has presided over the WNBA through the most significant period of growth in the league's 30-year history,” Silver said in a statement Friday. “We are grateful for Cathy's leadership and unwavering commitment to the advancement of women's basketball.”

Engelbert was named the league’s commissioner in May 2019. She played college basketball at Lehigh in the late 1980s for Hall of Fame coach Muffet McGraw, and spent 33 years working for Deloitte, where she became the company’s first female CEO in 2015.

“I retire with immense gratitude and tremendous optimism for the future of the WNBA, with the best yet to come,” Engelbert said in her statement.]]> https://washingtonsun.com/sports/daylen-lile-nationals-cornerstone Jesse Dougherty The 23-year old outfielder is in the middle of a (very) hot streak. Fri, 04 Sep 2026 09:03:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/sports/daylen-lile-nationals-cornerstone Daylen Lile has been crushing the ball, which led me to ask him about signs — as in, any sign that he’s completely dialed in — at his locker last week. He did not, to my surprise, talk about something like his timing with fastballs, nor did he mention a recent home run that landed in the second deck at Nationals Park. Instead he pointed to a single pitch.

On Aug. 24, Ryan Feltner, a righty for the Rockies, threw Lile an 85-mph changeup on the low-and-outside corner. Lile, a 23-year-old outfielder, thought for a millisecond about swinging but didn’t. The umpire called strike one. And because Lile resisted, he knew he was in one of his zones, when the game slows down enough for him to rake (and rake, and rake). It was, in other words, a sign.

Two pitches later, Feltner threw a more manageable changeup and Lile roped it for a double. In his next at-bat, he singled. In the at-bat after that, he crushed that second-deck homer.

"Whenever I'm taking the pitcher's best pitch, when I’m laying off it pretty easy, tracking it all the way, that’s when I know I’m dialed in,” Lile told me. “A good take is really all it is.”

If that sounds simple, it isn’t — especially for a player who unmercifully assesses himself with a microscope. Lile is an unforgiving self-described perfectionist, which is extra hard when facing the “one percent of the one percent,” as he put it. But the theme of his season, his first full one in the majors, is figuring out how to better process struggles big and small. As a rookie last year, he mostly excelled, a smooth continuation of the rest of his baseball life. Wherever he’d played, whenever he’d played, he had hit. That’s generally how you wind up in the big leagues before you can rent a car without underage fees.

This year, though, has been different. Yes, right now, Lile’s in the middle of a loud, elongated up of an up-and-down season. He was just named National League player of the week, posting three homers, two doubles, five walks and a 1.533 on-base-plus-slugging percentage between Aug. 24 and 30. He homered twice against the Marlins on Monday. He’s once again proving, as the Nats plot future rosters, that he could be a major contributor. It’s felt like a second arrival.

But his chase rate is still in the ninth percentile among all hitters, according to Statcast, which is evidence that Lile’s been swinging at bad pitches throughout the year, mostly when he’s been frustrated and putting too much pressure on every at-bat. In 2025, by contrast, in a smaller sample of games, he was in the 56th percentile and that showed in his results. His production typically follows his plate discipline, which is to say that he’s productive when he can quiet his busy mind.

It’s the most relatable thing about a person who can hit a baseball 420 feet. Also relatable: Even when he thrives at the highest level of his field, Lile finds reasons to shake his head, to nitpick, to wish he had done just a little bit more (or, in some cases, less). Early success both accelerated his career and complicated the stories he tells himself. He’s learning, tough, trying like mad to think less. For a team out of another playoff race, it’s the next-best way to use this time of year.

“I would say I kind of got spoiled with August and September last season,” Lile said. “But, you know, I really haven’t had many ups and downs in my career, and this year I’ve had this roller coaster of the middle, then up, middle, down, up, middle, down, down, up. So I’m trying to just compete as much as possible and not really think out there.”

I first started covering the Nationals in late 2018, which means I’ve been thinking about them, in one way or another, for most of the last decade (with a break and job change mixed in). When you’re around a team that long, there are a handful of random snippets that really stick to your brain — sometimes for explainable reasons, sometimes not. For me, this includes a passing conversation in August or September of 2022, after the Nationals traded Juan Soto.

Naturally, I’d asked a member of the front office about the future, about who might anchor the next winning team in D.C., whenever that came. James Wood basically jumped out of his mouth, the obvious answer. Cade Cavalli, too, who he believed would grow into an ace. But the third name surprised me, if only because it wasn’t CJ Abrams, whom they’d just acquired in the Soto deal, or Dylan Crews, whom the Nats had taken with the second pick in the draft that summer.

“Lile?” I remember asking. He hadn’t stuttered. At that point, Lile was in his first full summer in the Nationals’ minor league system. They drafted him out of high school with their second pick in 2021, a round after Brady House. From the beginning, Lile was described to me as a pure hitter, a teenager with the critical gift of making lots of contact. He also was — and still is — very fast. A Wood- or Cavalli-level cornerstone, though, was a few steps above the steady praise I had heard.

This made me follow Lile’s career through a narrow lens: That good? Part of the amorphous core that will eventually bring the Nationals back from the dead? To be clear, these aren’t fair measures for any player. But in the years since, Lile has kept justifying his inclusion in that discussion, starting with his breakout debut in 2025. In 91 games, he hit 11 triples and had an .845 OPS. He was named National League Player of the Month for September. He then finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting.

And then this year has tested his brain as much as his bat or glove. June felt like a low. Moving forward, Lile wants to walk a lot more, which comes back to not chasing so many pitches out of the zone. Chris Burke, his offseason hitting coach in Louisville, played six seasons in the major leagues. After the way Lile finished last season, Burke knew he had set a crazy bar for himself, especially now that pitchers would be circling Lile’s name on scouting reports.

“I actually tried to caution him a little bit,” Burke told me. “Like, don’t let that be your standard, that’s not really fair. But part of what makes him special is that he is not easily impressed by himself. I think he believes he can be one of the best hitters in the world. And, you know, he's clearly proven that's in there.”

Over the winter, the two of them talked all this through, sometimes spending about half of their hour-long sessions on the mental side of the game. And with Lile heading home again soon, the recent leap in his numbers, helped by his August tear, could reset the bar at an unreasonable height. But expectations, however light or heavy, are the burden every professional athlete wants. For Lile, they also come as the Nats are trying to turn the corner to competitive, meaning the team is hoping to arrive and stick in a similar way.

Wood, back this week from an oblique injury, remains the most important piece of the Next Core. Abrams has a less certain future with the team, though he’s shown he can hit like a full-on star (no matter where he plays in the field). Cavalli, as predicted, is turning into an ace, if he’s not there already. There are blue-chip prospects in the minors, including Eli Willits, the No. 1 pick in 2024, and Chris Hacopian, the team’s first-round choice this summer. But it would still mean a lot for the Nationals if Lile was a logical addition to this list.

“I want to finish stronger than how I did in the first half and actually leave people like, ‘OK, he is the player we thought he was,’” Lile said. When I asked who he meant by “people,” he paused and furrowed his brows, a regular expression for him. At points this season, the voice inside his head had wondered if he was good enough, if he belonged in the majors, if the end of last year was just a burst of good luck, a mirage.

“Well, myself,” he said. “That’s the biggest one.”]]> https://washingtonsun.com/sports/nationals-homestand-agony-hope Thomas Boswell When a team becomes competitive again, as the Nats have, baseball regains its power to please. Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:43:06 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/sports/nationals-homestand-agony-hope The Washington Nationals homestand, just completed, illustrates in miniature a baseball fan’s experiences over a lifetime.

The Nats are roughly a .500 team. That’s the talent level you’d expect if you were a fan from age 6 to 96. But, for 10 straight days, every game at Nats Park was experienced by ardent fans as either a joyous 1.000, full of promise, or an abysmal .000 that, at least for a while, feels almost unendurable.

On some recent days, fans could hardly get higher about their team’s future. On some days, often the next day, they could hardly feel worse.

During this fortnight, the Nats won a game 13-3. Laughers are fun. They also got a walk-off win on a Dylan Crews hit. Drama works nicely, too.

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Daylen Lile won National League Player of the Week, then hit two more homers to start his next week —14 RBIs in eight games! Cade Cavalli, the team's new ace, had his ninth straight quality start, second-most in team history after only Max Scherzer’s streak in 2019.

On Tuesday, rookies Yoyo Morales and Jared Simpson were the hitting hero and winning pitcher on their first day in the majors. The Morales and Simpson families were sitting together in Nats Park. Morales had a homer, a long double and a single. Simpson got nine outs on the eight batters that he faced. The moms and dads hardly knew who to high-five next.

My favorite feel-good of the season is now lefty reliever Erik Tolman, who touched 100 mph with a 0.00 ERA in his first four Nats games after five years of misfortunes that’d make Job feel lucky by comparison. Two Tommy John surgeries were his little injuries.

In the minors in ’23, making his second TJ comeback, Tolman hopped over the foul line for luck, but caught his cleat and fell awkwardly.

“I tore every ligament in my [right] knee, [my] hamstring tore off my bone, and then the peroneal nerve ruptured,” said Tolman in a TV interview. “I lost all feeling in my foot, which resulted in a foot drop.”

Tolman had to learn how to walk again. He now pitches with a brace on his lower leg and, when barefoot, still doesn’t have full feeling in his foot. But his fastball sits at 96-to-99. On a foul pop up, Tolman made an acrobatic twisting snag, reaching backward over his head. Did somebody say the Nats needed a left-handed reliever more than any other one thing?

So, top that! What can go wrong?

Plenty. Baseball gives you a day to enjoy a Tolman, or a seven-inning, one-run 106-pitch outing by another southpaw rookie, Jackson Kent. But you also get just one day to rehab from the ugliest losses.

On Sunday, the Nats bullpen turned a 2-0 lead in the ninth into a 6-2 loss. The gruesome way that they did it shows why baseball fans deserve medals. Miami took a 4-2 lead on a bunt single, three walks, a hit batter, two double steals (one of home plate), a wild outfield throw on a sacrifice fly and multiple mental errors. The Marlins’ only “hit” had gone 10 feet in the air. But the next Miami hitter compensated for that distance disparity with a 400-foot home run.

George Solomon, the Washington Post's great sports editor for 28 years, emailed me: “Nats ninth inning performance Sunday as low as you can get.”

When a team blows its 35th save of the year, and the blown-save record, at least for this solar system, is only 37, a fan learns to root in the fetal position.

On a roller-coaster homestand as crazy as this, even rookie managers with cherubic faces get crusty. After one lazy 13-1 loss, Blake Butera publicly threw his team under the bus — where they deserved to be. His accusation of “lack of energy” is one step from “quit.”

Twice, Butera relieved Jake Irvin in the fifth inning before he was eligible for a win. It was the percentage move. Vets seldom like that; good managers don’t care. Butera also yanked Jorbit Vivas out mid-game for not running out a pop up. It would have been a waste for this season to be so cuddly that a ticked-off Butera never showed up.
Blake Butera (5702x3801, AR: 1.50)In other sports, devoted fans may wait a week for real news, or at least a few days. In MLB, the full range of a team’s possible futures rush at you constantly.

For example, with his current torrid streak, Lile now has a career OPS+ — OPS adjusted for era and home park — of 115, or 15% better than league average, in 929 plate appearances. Lile isn’t James Wood: 136! But 115 is in the same neighborhood as Ryan Zimmerman, Adrian Beltré, Roberto Alomar, Barry Larkin, Mickey Vernon, Thurman Munson and Byron Buxton. And Lile is only 23.

Counterbalancing that, Crews now has a .215 batting average in more than 800 plate appearances. After his walk-off hit, teammates pounded his back with joy because he’s such a hard-working, hard-nosed but hard-on-himself player who expects greatness — not mere goodness, much less mediocrity — from himself.

Take a deep breath. The average No. 2 overall draft pick has a career WAR of 15.2, not 50.0, and, if he’s an outfielder like Crews, a career average of 199 homers, not 500.

Useful centerfielder B.J. Upton (16.5 WAR, 168 homers), who was never an All-Star, is a fair measuring stick for a player in Crews’ draft slot, not Reggie Jackson. Crews has climbing to do, but reaching the top of a hill, not an Alp, might suffice.

As this season winds down, let’s step back. In recent years, the Nats have been almost unwatchable, even for a lunatic like me. This year, the fact that a late-season homestand could be engrossing proves how much progress the Paul Toboni regime has made.

You play for the scoreboard every day. But, over a season, your run differential tells plenty of truth, too. In ’26, the Nats have improved from -214 (awful) to +14 (average). That’s enormous.

Once a team becomes competitive again, as the Nats have, the sport regains its power to please. In one homestand near the end of a typical season for a typical team, so many remarkable things happen that a MLB fan can hardly believe it all, pulling out hair one night, but waking up smiling after the next game.

It’s 13-3 your way one night and a 13-1 loss two days later. This whole Nats homestand was a useful 6-4, with plenty of young players to ponder for the future. But in the final game Wednesday, the first-place Braves, kicked the previous night by those rookies, kicked back with a 9-0 win. The Nats got two hits.

After many years, you know this is how it goes. You internalize a coping mechanism for loss and an endless anticipation of hope. That sounds like daily existence. Recuperate and repeat. For a lifetime.]]> https://washingtonsun.com/sports/washington-commanders-training-camp-takeaways Martenzie Johnson Stefon Diggs rejuvenated the receivers room, injuries spoiled the summer and Jayden Daniels showed he’s still got it. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:20:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/sports/washington-commanders-training-camp-takeaways Following a 41-3 beatdown against the Ravens in Friday’s preseason finale, there are more questions than ever about what this Commanders season will look like.

One game doesn’t negate three months of practice, but it can highlight the issues a team is facing. For Washington, it’s clear the interior line isn’t up to snuff and the run defense leaks yardage like a spigot.

But there have been some positive strides since June. The receivers room is deep. The run game has improved. The front seven is disruptive. It’s not all bad.

Here are the 10 most important things we’ve learned about this Commanders team over the last few months:

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The receivers room struggled early. 

From the first days of training camp, it was clear that this team’s weakness was at receiver. The wideouts not named Terry McLaurin consistently struggled to get separation, leading to the quarterbacks holding onto the ball too long or throwing passes away. “We shake [hands] with guys after practice — I didn't really wanna shake up with anybody because we got beat,” McLaurin said after the second day of camp. “But at the end of the day, we're still brothers.”

The group’s lackluster showing eventually led to Adam Peters making a late signing.

Stefon Diggs’ arrival was a game changer. 

Isn’t it amazing how quickly opinions can change when a former All-Pro walks through the door? Every criticism of the receivers room seemed to evaporate the second Diggs stepped on the field Aug. 7. With his quickness and route-running, Diggs quickly became one of Jayden Daniels’ favorite targets in practice. We have yet to see what Diggs will actually look like in this offense — he played only three snaps in the preseason with no targets — but his arrival immediately improved the vibe of the team. That is until …

The offensive line fell apart. 

The offensive line came into camp as one of Washington's strengths. The unit returned four starters, and the fifth lineman, center Nick Allegretti, started the final two games of the 2025 season. But within one day of Diggs’ first practice, All-Pro left tackle Laremy Tunsil tore a triceps during a one-on-one drill. Less than two weeks later, Allegretti reaggravated a calf strain that had sidelined him early in camp. Brandon Coleman and Julian Good-Jones filled in at tackle and center, respectively. While Coleman, who was the team’s starting left tackle in 2024, seamlessly subbed in for Tunsil, Good-Jones struggled. The converted guard had issues snapping the ball and identifying defensive coverages, leading to sacks and run stuffs. Eventually, he was one of 34 players released on Sunday, though he was signed to the practice squad a day later.

But the injuries to Tunsil and Allegretti were just the beginning.

Jer'Zhan Newton AP - 26220040830441 (5340x3560, AR: 1.50)
So. Many. Injuries.

Late in camp, players began dropping like flies. Cornerback Trey Amos, linebackers Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson, defensive tackles Daron Payne, Tim Settle and Jer’Zhan Newton and running backs Bill Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White all missed multiple practices in the final weeks. Settle was the only one of that group who played in the preseason. Amos, Newton and Tunsil were all placed on injured lists, meaning they will sit for a minimum of four weeks.

Jayden Daniels is still that dude. 

Washington’s star quarterback faced a fair amount of restrictions in the preseason. In three snaps against the Lions, he handed off, was pressured into a throw away and sacked. But throughout camp the former rookie of the year looked poised, in command of the offense and still capable of dotting an “i” with his accuracy. He worked more under center than he has in his professional and collegiate careers, and his coaches have raved about how he has made that adjustment.

Bill Croskey-Merritt made his case.

Croskey-Merritt had about as well of a rookie season as can be expected of a seventh-round draft pick, posting a team-high 805 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. But inconsistency and fumbles got him sent to the bench in the second half of the year. At the beginning of camp, coach Dan Quinn said he wanted to see more explosiveness and pass-catching production from the 25-year-old, and Croskey-Merritt provided that, even after the team signed receiving back White in the offseason as a third-down option. He made multiple difficult catches in camp, and when given the room by the line he hit gaps with speed and power. After missing a few weeks with a lower-body injury, Croskey-Merritt returned to practice on Tuesday.

Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson can give this team an edge. 

One of the reasons for the early skepticism around the offense was the pressure and penetration free-agent signees Oweh and Chaisson were creating in practice. Daniels and co. could barely get plays off because of how quickly the two edge rushers were making their way into the backfield. The only problem? Neither Oweh nor Chaisson has practiced since Aug. 12.

Sonny Styles AP - 26214719942040 (4546x3031, AR: 1.50)
Sonny Styles is still a work in progress. 

Having a positive opinion about Styles feels like raving about a restaurant to a friend, only to eat the food together and it’s just OK. The rookie linebacker spent all summer attacking run gaps and blanketing pass-catchers in practice, but when preseason games started the No. 7 overall pick didn’t look otherworldly. He didn’t immediately pass the eye test like other rookies have, including Tampa Bay’s Rueben Bain Jr. But Quinn can vouch for the early hype: “You guys have seen a lot more,” he said to reporters. “What I’ve seen at practice, you feel speed and playmaking ability to get to spots.”

Daronte Jones and David Blough faced growing pains. 

The two first-time coordinators created a lot of excitement in Washington when they were hired in January. Blough promised an explosive offense while Jones emphasized versatile and bespoke looks from his unit. While the preseason isn’t a barometer for how a team will produce, it can identify some weaknesses. The offense has faced protection issues and couldn’t get the run game going against Detroit or Baltimore. While the defense forced the kind of turnovers it lacked last season, the run defense allowed 160 yards a game, which would have ranked dead last in 2025. The saving grace is that the play calls used in preseason don’t always stick around for the regular season.

Something changed in the last two weeks. 

As Week 1 gets closer, it’s hard to ignore that whatever high Washington had going when they manhandled the Dolphins in mid-August has since dissipated. Part of that is due to all the injuries, but there's been a noticeable vibe shift regardless of who is on the field. Mental mistakes (turnovers, missed assignments, penalties) started to mount against the Lions, which led to Quinn stating the team was in “disarray.” And rather than learn from those mistakes, the Commanders were embarrassed by the Ravens in joint practice and the preseason finale a week later.
]]> https://washingtonsun.com/metro/commanders-stadium-rfk-transit-metro Zara Norman The question of whether to build a second train station at RFK has divided a neighborhood — and city government. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:20:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/metro/commanders-stadium-rfk-transit-metro There’s a lot we know about the forthcoming Commanders stadium at RFK. Plans say it will have 65,000 seats, be accompanied by 6,600 new homes and generate $4 billion in tax revenue.

One thing we don’t yet know: how fans will get there.

Local leaders expect a significant number of the estimated 65,000 fans coming to games to use public transit, but Metro (and outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser) has already ruled out building a new rail station. The transit agency says a new station would likely cost over $1 billion, wouldn’t meaningfully expand rail capacity and wouldn’t even be completed in time for the stadium’s 2030 opening.

“It's just not feasible, and it's not just about numbers,” Randy Clarke, the general manager of WMATA, told NOTUS. “It'd be this big station in the sky, on a curb no one could get to, and it doesn't actually help with capacity. …There's just no there there.”

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Instead, the agency wants to expand the existing Stadium-Armory station and roll out a new rapid transit bus line, dubbed “the Gold Line,” that would run along H Street and Benning Road Northeast, stretching from Union Station to the RFK campus and eventually beyond.

Not everyone’s sold on the idea. Some Ward 7 residents and Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen — who chairs the D.C. Council’s transportation committee — say Metro didn’t sufficiently study whether a new station is feasible. Some residents don’t trust the agency’s reliance on an east-west road connection after the failure of D.C.’s streetcar along the exact same corridor.

“The RFK campus needs a durable transit solution if the city is going to see a return on its billion-dollar investment,” David Wyman, a Hill East resident, told NOTUS. “The streetcar hasn't worked. Metro stations are forever.”

At an open house held by Metro last week and intended as a way for Ward 7 residents to talk to city officials about transit options, John Capozzi grew increasingly frustrated. As he milled around the St. Coletta school gymnasium, he saw more and more material that treated the new station question as settled.

“I thought we were gonna talk about options,” said Capozzi, a Commanders fan who is active in local politics and has lived in Southeast D.C. for decades.

Both Metro and Bowser dismissed the idea of a second station “before it really even was an idea,” Council member Allen said. He believes they only studied one of the area’s most challenging build sites.

“I don't really trust the numbers and the evaluation they did,” Allen told NOTUS. “The option to build that new station has got to remain on the table, because it really is about if we want to see this as a growth opportunity in this part of the city or not.”

Metro maintains that an improved Stadium-Armony station — with an expanded entrance, more elevators and escalators — can handle the traffic, when combined with the Gold line.

Clarke said he understands that the city may have lost some trust with the streetcar’s failure, but Metro won’t repeat those mistakes with a rapid bus transit service.

“The real issue was [the streetcar] was put on the curb, and once it's on the curb, you're fighting with everyone else on the curb, and you can't really have priority,” Clarke told NOTUS. “[We want] exclusive lanes. We want it in the middle. We want signal priority. We want 60-foot buses, offboard payment platforms. So, basically, it'll look and feel a lot like a light rail line.”

Allen doesn’t think the city should take an either-or approach, and that a second station is worth building even if it doesn’t happen in time for 2030. He pointed to the success of the NoMa neighborhood and its transit-oriented development.

“Transit helped make that happen. If we are saying we want to be in a growth mode for our city, we’ve got to invest in transit,” Allen said. “A station there is actually about a lot more than just the stadium — it’s about building out the neighborhood.”

It’s possible that the D.C. Council could revisit the conversation of a second station down the line, particularly with the political winds changing in January when three new Council members and a new mayor take office. A spokesperson for Janeese Lewis George, the Democratic nominee for mayor, declined to comment on her position.

“I have a hunch she'll at least be much more open-minded,” Allen told NOTUS.
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