RICHMOND, Va. — The Washington Commanders have taken a deliberate approach to building their roster under head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters, emphasizing veteran leadership as they opened training camp this week with the NFL's oldest active roster.
With an average age of 28 and 16 players who have at least 10 years of NFL experience, the Commanders are betting on seasoned professionals to help transform the franchise.
Linebacker Von Miller, entering his 15th season at age 36, believes his experience remains a valuable asset despite his age.
"I can still roll out of bed, you know, at 36 years old with my house shoes on and still rush the passer," Miller said. "There's other stuff that I gotta work at to get better at, of course. But the main thing for me is rushing the passer. I can do that right when I wake up fresh out of sleep."
The veteran players aren't just on the roster for their playing abilities. They also serve as mentors to younger teammates, helping accelerate their development through years of accumulated knowledge.
"When you played a lot of ball and you've seen a lot of ball, you understand ball," said defensive back Jeremy Reaves. "And so you can communicate that to the young guys who maybe haven't seen a lot of ball. One of my roles on this team outside of what I do is also to mentor these young guys. Tell them how they tough for the stuff that I've seen, coach them up so they can understand it in a way that makes sense to them."
Reaves noted the unique perspective on age in professional football compared to other professions.
"In any other industry, we're considered super young, but you know, 35 in this industry, you almost think that we're like 200 years old or something," Reaves said.
The efficiency that comes with experience was highlighted by linebacker Bobby Wagner, who explained how veterans can often accomplish the same tasks with less effort.
"There's not that many steps, you know, cause you know where the ball is going," Wagner said. "So he might take 10 steps to get to where he needs to. I'll just take two."
As the Commanders begin their training camp journey, the organization is clearly banking on this wealth of experience to guide their path forward in the upcoming season.
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