Sources: Players want to be traded to Commanders at deadline

Here’s a sentence that hasn’t been written or uttered this century — since before Dan Snyder owned an NFL franchise: Players want to wind up in Washington playing for the Commanders.

In recent weeks, there have been players who privately stated or told their agents they want to be traded to the Commanders, league sources told ESPN.

It’s possible the Commanders could comply by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET trade deadline. The Commanders have explored adding a cornerback and also could use help at wide receiver, according to league sources.

But even if the Commanders can’t complete any trades by the deadline, the fact that certain players would like to land in Washington bodes well for the franchise in free agency and in years to come, league sources told ESPN.

It’s a function of new ownership, a new front office, a new coaching staff and, maybe most importantly, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who is contending not only for the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year but also potentially the most valuable player.

Daniels has helped turn around a franchise that now is 6-2 and in first place in the NFC East entering Sunday’s game against the Giants, a team that explored but could not trade up to draft the former LSU star.

Daniels is coming off a week in which he made the play of the NFL season — his 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to Noah Brown that lifted Washington to an 18-15 victory over Chicago this past Sunday.

Daniels’ pass alone stood out, but after the game, so did his actions.

As Washington’s locker room rejoiced, one Commanders official noticed Daniels at his locker, watching everyone else in the room celebrate. Daniels looked calm, composed and seemed as if the dramatic victory was what he expected to happen that day, according to the team official. In his rookie year, Daniels already carries himself like a confident seasoned player.

Now the Commanders have put themselves in a position to compete for a division title and a playoff spot but also, just as important, shifted the perception of the franchise.

The Commanders are 6-2 for the first time since 2008 and 4-0 at home for the first time since 2005.

Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, has completed 71.8% of his passes — the second-best percentage in the NFL — for 1,736 yards, seven touchdowns and only two interceptions while also rushing for 424 yards and four scores.

According to ESPN Research, Daniels is the second player in NFL history with 1,500 passing yards and 400 rushing yards through his first eight career games, joining another Washington rookie star — Robert Griffin III in 2012.

For years, decades even, Washington was viewed as an NFL wasteland, a toxic environment plagued by issues under Snyder’s ownership that dragged down the franchise.

But with all the changes the Commanders have made, the newest and ultimate sign of how much has changed can be gauged by the fact that players want to come to Washington by the deadline.