New GM Adam Peters: Commanders Job 'Best Opportunity in the NFL!'

New GM Adam Peters: Washington Commanders Job 'Best Opportunity in the NFL!'

For new Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters, the allure of the job was simple. Of all the job openings and requests he received, Washington was the one where he felt best set up for success. 

"This was the best opportunity in my mind in the NFL," Peters said at his introductory press conference. 

For Washington, Peters viewing its opening as the best in the NFL shows how much the franchise has changed since Josh Harris became the owner last July. Peters has had his suitors in the past, and outside of being a finalist for the New York Giants general manager job in 2021, he has been picky over who he would interview for.  

August 19, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers vice president of player personnel Adam Peters before the game against the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium. The Broncos defeated the 49ers 33-14 / Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Harris said he and his partners were looking for someone who could elevate the Commanders, who haven't made the playoffs since 2020 or finished over .500 since 2016. At the end of their interview process, they believed Peters was the right man for the job. 

"We set out to find a leader," Harris said. "Someone who can take this franchise to the next level and build an elite team that can consistently compete for championships. In Adam, I think we have the right leader."

Peters, 42, previously spent time with the New England Patriots (2003-2008) and Denver Broncos (2009-2016) before joining the 49ers when they hired John Lynch as their general manager in 2017. Between his stints in New England and Denver, he was a part of three Super Bowls. Peters was the 49ers' vice president of player personnel for four seasons before becoming the assistant general manager in 2021. 

After going 10-22 in their first two seasons with Peters in the building, the 49ers have gone 64-29 in the regular season since then and have made the playoffs four times, with two conference championships and one Super Bowl appearance.

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While San Francisco and Washington are far apart now, Peters said he sees similarities from when he first arrived in Santa Clara.

"I find this a very similar situation from when we got to San Francisco in 2017," Peters said. "A lot of great similarities, so I've got to lean on from that experience, both things we did well and things we didn't. Ultimately, we're going to build through the draft and supplement through free agency." 

Peters' first hire will be monumental, as he's tasked with finding the next head coach of the Commanders. If Peters is going to turn the franchise around, getting the right man to lead Washington on the field will be paramount, and he said the franchise will look for the best leader regardless of which side of the ball they specialize in.

"We're looking for the best leader for the Washington Commanders," Peters said. "We have a set criteria that we're going to have to be aligned in that vision, and it's not going to be in a box. It's not going to be offense, it's not going to be defense, it's going to be the best leader for this organization."