The Washington Commanders have had a relatively significant overhaul this offseason. Not only did they spend nearly $260 million on 21 new free-agent pieces and select an additional six players in the 2026 NFL Draft, but they also moved on from both of their previous coordinators.
Now the team has made another significant change in their front office. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on July 7th that Commanders personnel executive Scott Fitterer was leaving the organization to join Athletes First.
Fitterer has been with Washington since the start of Adam Peters’ era over the last two years. Before that, he was the general manager of the Carolina Panthers from 2021 to 2023.
This move opened the door for Adam Peters to dip back into his San Francisco 49ers reserve to pull another former connection to replace Fitterer.
Commanders Replace Scott Fitterer With Demitrius Washington
Perhaps not the 49er that most fans expected to join the team, but Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports reported that the Commanders are hiring Demitrius Washington as their new senior personnel executive.
Charean Williams of NBC Sports Pro Football Talk broke down that “Washington previously worked with Commanders General Manager Adam Peters in San Francisco. Washington worked in the 49ers’ football research and development department from 2015-21, overlapping with Peters from 2017-21. Washington spent the past four years in the Vikings’ front office, most recently as assistant General Manager.”
Washington is known for his strong analytical prowess and will prove to be crucial as the team blends data with football.
He now joins the team of his namesake and will be supporting Peters as the Commanders enter a pivotal third season under his control.
Commanders’ Front Office Focused on Adding Youth In The Offseason
GettyChig Okonkwo (26 years old) signed a 3-year, $27 million contract with the Washington Commanders in March of 2026.
It’s no secret that the front office has put massive pressure on themselves to improve their roster this offseason heading into 2026.
While the core may revolve around Jayden Daniels, the organization knew they couldn’t walk into 2026 still supporting the oldest average roster age in the league.
They have been highly intentional about adding younger and more explosive talent to the roster. The average age of their free-agent additions is 26.8 years old.
Names like Odafe Oweh, Chig Okonkwo, and Nick Cross are examples of players who have displayed flashes of greatness but perhaps haven’t reached their true potential quite yet.
Washington is banking on this influx of youth and dormant ability to flourish in the nation’s capital.
Commanders’ Likely Out On Wide Receiver Brandon Aiyuk
GettySan Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
As the cards currently lie, despite the team bringing in another connection from the 49ers, it doesn’t appear that it’ll increase the likelihood of Brandon Aiyuk joining the team. Even if we ignore all that has transpired between Jayden Daniels and his former Arizona State teammate over the past week, the 49ers still currently hold onto Aiyuk’s rights.
Aiyuk has recently shifted his attention towards the 49ers for potentially “lying” about voiding his contract guarantees amid his injury rehab.
Anything is possible, but as of now, Aiyuk’s chances of joining Washington appear to be dead in the water.
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