It appears as if the first part of the Commanders’ new regime search is over: per Adam Schefter, the Commanders are hiring 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters as their general manager, with Peters the choice over fellow finalist Ian Cunningham.
Peters, 42, has been John Lynch’s top lieutenant in San Francisco for the last three years, following four years as the Vice President of player personnel. Peters is entering his 22nd year an NFL front office exec, having started his career as a scout with the Patriots in 2003.
He spent six years in New England, helping find players that won them Super Bowl XXXIX (their second straight) in 2004, then was a regional and national scout, assistant director of college scouting, and eventually director of college scouting for the Broncos from 2009-16 – a period that saw Denver win two AFC Championships and Super Bowl 50.
The Niners have won three NFC West titles and reached Super Bowl LIV during Peters’ time there, and this year, they have a league-high nine Pro Bowlers, four of which were drafted in his time there.
Thus ends a ‘thorough but rapid’ process that saw the Commanders’ search committee request and interview five candidates on Tuesday and Wednesday, with Peters and Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham emerging as the finalists on Thursday before Peters became the guy 24 hours later.
Peters’ first task will be finding the next head coach, and then figuring out where to go in a Draft where the Commanders have the No. 2 overall pick and six in the Top 103 (the last being the third pick of the fourth round).