It was a difficult season for the Washington Commanders. Washington went 4-13, and head coach Ron Rivera was fired.
When players cleaned their lockers on Monday, several spoke about their former head coach. While some players appeared frustrated with offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, they expressed gratitude and appreciation for Rivera despite his lack of success.
As for the 2023 season, there weren’t a lot of bright spots on the field. One bright spot, though, was right guard Sam Cosmi. A 2021 second-round pick from the University of Texas, Cosmi began his career as Washington’s right tackle. After two seasons of up-and-down play at tackle, the 6-foot-6, 309-pound Cosmi moved to right guard in the offseason.
The offensive line struggled as a whole in 2023, but Cosmi, particularly in the second half of the season, was a force at right guard. Per Pro Football Focus, Cosmi was one of the NFL’s highest-graded offensive linemen in the second half of the season and led all Washington offensive players with an 80.6 grade for the season.
In speaking to reporters on Monday, Cosmi made it clear he wished the Commanders had run the ball more in 2023. Washington finished first in passing attempts with essentially a rookie quarterback while finishing last in rushing attempts.
Cosmi was appreciative of Rivera but is excited about the upcoming changes for Washington in 2024. The Commanders hired a new general manager on Friday, Adam Peters, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers.
Cosmi expressed why change is good.
“Change can be great, to be honest with you,” Cosmi said. “I’m looking forward to it. I’m tired of losing. I’m tired of being average, now, below average. I want to win. At the end of the day, everybody does. So, whatever that takes, it’s a brutal business. But you’ve got to perform; I got to perform. Every time I go on that field, regardless of the situation, I have to perform. Everybody in this building has to perform. We all play a part.”
Those are refreshing words to hear from a young Washington player. Cosmi is an ascending player and one Peters will presumably want to build around moving forward. A losing attitude has permeated Washington’s locker room for too long, and that’s something Cosmi wants to change.
Sam Cosmi has been great to talk to all season.
The Commanders offensive lineman is always open and honest.
Sam told me this morning, "the change is going to be great…I'm tired of losing. I want to win at the end of the day." pic.twitter.com/lxvOYzXYdr
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) January 8, 2024
