Dale Earnhardt Jr. sends message to Washington Commanders after NFC Championship loss

Following the Washington Commanders’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is feeling optimistic. As a lifelong Washington fan, the NASCAR legend has seen the lows. So, he’s going to enjoy this season for what it was.

A rookie quarterback and other exciting, key playmakers rejuvenated the Commanders fanbase. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was on the edge of his seat seemingly every week, posting online about games.

Instead of being down about the NFC Championship loss, Dale Jr. is remaining positive. Sports are meant to excite us. If you watched the Commanders this season, they were one of the most exciting teams in the entire NFL.

If you are a fan of the team, it was a wild ride that felt like it ended too soon. Still, there is a lot to be proud of.

“Hell of a season [Commanders],” he wrote on Twitter/X. “Got caught up in the idea of a Super Bowl run and needed reminding this morning of how big the gains were in the past 2 years. The team this year went above and beyond anything I had imagined. I’m grateful and excited for the future.”

Hell of a season @Commanders

Got caught up in the idea of a Super Bowl run and needed reminding this morning of how big the gains were the past 2 years. The team this year went above and beyond anything I had imagined. I'm grateful and excited for the future.

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) January 27, 2025

Nothing gold can stay, folks. The unbelievable season did have an unfortunate ending. I think Commanders fans were hoping they could at least put the ball in Jayden Daniels’ hands at the end of the game for a chance to win. The Eagles had other plans.

With the Xfinity Series season coming up, I think Dale Earnhardt Jr. will have a lot to be happy about. After all, he has two incoming rookies who look like the real deal, the returning champion, and a 20-year-old who has yet to break through despite early success.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a wealth of talent for 2025

JR Motorsports has put together its best four-driver, full-time lineup ever. These aren’t part-time guys who run in the Cup Series full-time. We have four Xfinity Series drivers who are all capable of winning races and maybe even a championship.

First off, Justin Allgaier is back. That’s a huge deal. He’s the reigning champion and there’s no reason why he couldn’t make a run at back-to-back titles. He isn’t quite 40 yet and I think he has this Xfinity Series thing figured out for the most part.

Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch will be leading rookies this year among a class of 10. Zilisch won in his Xfinity Series debut and Kvapil had a chance to win a few short track races in his limited starts in 2024. Either of these rookies could also be the champion.

Finally, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has Sammy Smith for a second season. He won a race last year, but 2025 is different. Only 20, Smith is seen as a future star in NASCAR. Previously in the JGR pipeline, Smith made the move to JRM in 2024. No pressure as he carries the old DEI No. 8 font from Earnhardt’s racing days.