Commanders Will Not Explore New Contract For DT Daron Payne Until After Season
At the end of February, Commanders GM Adam Peters expressed high hopes for defensive tackle Daron Payne in 2026, the last year of his current deal (via JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington). Those remarks suggested Washington would not seek to move on from Payne despite his $27.95MM cap charge, though Peters also said the team would not explore a new contract for Payne until after the ’26 season.
Payne’s cap number – which also could have been reduced with an extension – has not prevented the Commanders from being very busy in free agency. The club has been especially active along the defensive front, adding Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, Tim Settle, and Charles Omenihu and re-signing Deatrich Wise, Shy Tuttle, and Drake Jackson.
Of that group, only Oweh and Settle landed multiyear accords, so if Payne performs well in 2026, there should be no financial obstacle to a re-up. It does make sense for the team to wait and see if Payne’s platform campaign can yield an uptick in performance, as the soon-to-be 29-year-old has been unable to approach the career-best 11.5 sacks he posted in 2022 (his lone Pro Bowl season), and he has never drawn particularly strong grades from Pro Football Focus.
On the other hand, the Commanders are reportedly more bullish on Payne’s performance than PFF, and his presence, combined with the new additions, could make the club’s D-line a real strength in the upcoming season. Even after his FA expenditures, there has been no public indication that Peters has changed his mind on allowing Payne to play out the last year of the contract designed by the Ron Rivera/Martin Mayhew regime.
We also have a few notes to pass along on some of the above-referenced deals:
- K’Lavon Chaisson, DE. Originally reported as a one-year, $12MM deal, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports Chaisson can earn $11MM on his pact. Of that figure, $10.3MM ($7MM signing bonus, $3.3MM base salary) is fully guaranteed.
- Charles Omenihu, DE. One year, $4MM. $7MM max value. The deal includes $3.3MM in full guarantees, including $2.3MM in base salary and a $1MM signing bonus, per Wilson. Omenihu can earn $30K per game in active roster bonuses and $190K in workout bonuses.
- Tim Settle, DT. Reported as a three-year, $24MM deal with a max value of $25.5MM. The exact base figure, as Wilson reports, is $23.49MM. That includes $7.3MM in full guarantees, which is mostly comprised of a $6MM signing bonus. Settle also secured $4.7MM in injury guarantees and is due to earn salaries of $1.3MM, $7.1MM, and $6.2MM over the life of the contract.
- Deatrich Wise, DE. One year. The deal is worth $1.45MM and includes a $1.3MM salary and $75K signing bonus, according to Wilson. Wise will carry a $1.45MM cap charge.
NFC Contract Details: Lions, Franklin, Cross, Cardinals, Cowboys, 49ers, Bears, Saints
Here are the latest details from contracts agreed to around the NFC:
- Cade Mays, C (Lions). Three years, $25MM. Mays secured $6MM of his $7.7MM 2027 base salary fully guaranteed, according to OverTheCap. Four void years are included in the deal, per the Detroit Football Network’s Justin Rogers, with Mays’ 2026 cap hit sitting at $2.77MM. A $7.39MM option bonus is in place for 2028; the Lions bailing before that is due would result in a $3.89MM dead money hit, Rogers adds.
- Zaire Franklin, LB (Packers). Two years, $18MM. Two years remained on Franklin’s Colts-constructed contract — initially a three-year, $31.26MM deal. The Packers reworked it. Franklin received a $3.75MM signing bonus on his post-trade agreement, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. That is the only guarantee here, though Franklin’s 2026 salary ($4.24MM) will lock in just before Week 1 due to the LB being a vested veteran.
- Nick Cross, S (Commanders). Two years, $13MM. The deal includes $6.1MM fully guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. None of Cross’ 2027 money is guaranteed.
- Neville Gallimore, DT (Bears). Two years, $10.13MM. Gallimore will see $5MM guaranteed at signing, Wilson tweets. The Bears included a $375K roster bonus due on Day 5 of the 2027 league year.
- Benjamin St-Juste, CB (Packers). Two years, $10MM. St-Juste received just $3MM at signing, Wilson adds. The signing bonus represents the guarantee, though a $1.5MM roster bonus is due on Day 3 of the 2027 league year.
- Noah Fant, TE (Saints). Two years, $8.75MM. The former first-round pick secured $4.5MM guaranteed at signing, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. No guarantees are in place for 2027.
- Elijah Wilkinson, OL (Cardinals). Two years, $6.25MM. Wilkinson’s contract comes with $3.1MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The veteran blocker played for less than $1.5MM during both his Falcons seasons.
- Gardner Minshew, QB (Cardinals). One year, $5.75MM. This deal comes in far south of Minshew’s two-year, $25MM Raiders pact from 2024, and the initially reported $8.25MM represented a max value. Minshew will see $5.14MM fully guaranteed, per Wilson. Minshew’s deal checks in just below Jacoby Brissett‘s for AAV; Brissett is on a two-year, $12.5MM accord.
- Larry Borom, T (Lions). One year, $5MM. Borom’s deal comes almost fully guaranteed, with Wilson noting the at-signing number is $4.9MM. This contract is double his Dolphins deal from 2025.
- Malik Hooker, S (Cowboys). One year, $5MM. Hooker’s reworking will bring a $3MM guarantee, per OverTheCap. Hooker was going into the final season of a three-year, $21MM contract.
- Olamide Zaccheaus, WR (Falcons). Two years, $4.5MM. The ex-Matt Ryan target will return to Atlanta — under the leadership of the team’s new front office boss — for $2.3MM fully guaranteed, Wilson adds.
- Cobie Durant, CB (Cowboys). One year, $4MM. Durant’s deal includes just $1.5MM guaranteed at signing, via OverTheCap, though another $1.75MM (the ex-Ram CB’s base salary) will lock in just before Week 1.
- Nate Hobbs, CB (49ers). One year, $3.5MM. The previously reported $4.5MM number represents the deal’s max value. Hobbs will see $3.11MM fully guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner tweets.
Commanders Rumors: Pierce, Aiyuk
The Commanders were “aggressive” in their pursuit of Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce when the NFL’s legal negotiating window opened March 9, but he stayed put on a four-year, $114MM contract. It turns out he nearly ended up in Washington. Had Pierce reached the open market, he “absolutely” would have signed with the Commanders, a source told John Keim of ESPN.
After seemingly finishing second in the Pierce sweepstakes, Washington was the runner-up in the Romeo Doubs derby the next day. Doubs left the Packers for the Patriots’ four-year, $68MM pact, but the Commanders were reportedly “very close” to landing him.
While the Commanders still have not found a capable complement to No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin, they have bolstered their pass-catching group in adding former Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo and making modest investments at receiver (Dyami Brown, Treylon Burks, Van Jefferson). Impact options at the position continue to dwindle in free agency, though. Jauan Jennings and Deebo Samuel, who spent last season in Washington, are among the most appealing unsigned wideouts remaining.
Samuel led a banged-up Commanders receiving corps in catches (72), targets (99), yards (727) and touchdowns (five) last year, but he hasn’t drawn any known interest from Washington or elsewhere this offseason. The Commanders are expected to target one of Samuel’s former 49ers teammates, Brandon Aiyuk, though San Francisco will have to part with him first. While Aiyuk starred during his most recent full season in 2023, his stock has plummeted since then. As such, it is “unlikely” the Commanders will trade for Aiyuk or submit anything more than a one-year, prove-it offer if the 49ers release him, Keim writes.
In 2024, the first season of a four-year, $120MM contract, Aiyuk caught only 25 of 47 targets for 374 yards and no touchdowns before tearing his ACL and MCL in Week 7. He has not played since then.
While Aiyuk was on the mend from surgery last July, the 49ers voided the remaining guarantees on his deal because they were not happy with his rehab efforts. They eventually placed Aiyuk on the reserve/left squad list in December, ending any chance he would play in 2025.
Delving into the Aiyuk drama as a guest on the Bussin’ with the Boys podcast this week, 49ers tight end George Kittle revealed (via Coach Yac): “The last time I saw Aiyuk, he was kinda at training camp, kinda not and then he was in and out of the building throughout the first couple of weeks. Then I started going out to see him in the weight room because he didn’t go into the locker room or the training room anymore. He would just go into the weight room to do his rehab. I would go there and talk to him because he didn’t go to meetings or anything like that. I would just talk to him and let him know ‘I’m your guy. Just letting you know I love ya’. I started doing that Week 6 and then a week later that story came out about all the crazy stuff and then I didn’t see him again.”
Although Aiyuk has the talent to revive his career, it is no surprise that the Commanders and the rest of the league are wary of trading for him or handing over a sizable contract. But whether it’s Aiyuk or someone else, it would be ideal for Washington to find another starting-level receiver this offseason. General manager Adam Peters has come up empty in his efforts so far.
Commanders Extend S Jeremy Reaves
Jeremy Reaves was on course to spend 2026 as a pending free agent. That will no longer be the case, however. 
The veteran safety signed an extension on Thursday, per a team announcement. Terms of the deal were not announced. At a minimum, today’s news ensures Reaves will remain on the books through 2027. Every game in his eight-year career has been spent in Washington.
Reaves entered the league as an undrafted free agent of the Eagles, but he soon found himself in the nation’s capital. Over time, he has established himself as a useful contributor on defense and special teams. Reaves’ playing time has fluctuated over the years, with a notable safety snap share in place for 2020 and ’21. The following season, Reaves was used sparingly on defense but he earned first-team All-Pro acclaim and a Pro Bowl nod for his work on special teams.
The South Alabama product has played on a string of short-term deals over the course of his career. Reaves inked a two-year, $6MM contract in 2024; a one-year extension came about the following offseason. This latest accord will presumably carry a value similar to his recent ones without tying the Commanders to a lengthy commitment. Prior to today’s news, Reaves was set to collect $2.65MM in 2026, with a portion of that already guaranteed. A modest top-up in terms of locked-in compensation could be coming.
During Dan Quinn‘s first season leading the Commanders, Reaves was used almost exclusively on special teams. Things changed dramatically in 2025, though, as the 29-year-old logged 708 defensive snaps. That represented by far the most of his career in that regard. It will be interesting to see how Reaves is used moving forward.
Washington’s secondary has seen several changes early in free agency. The team has added Nick Cross at the safety spot, something which should put him in line for a first-team gig. If so, Reaves could return to third phase duties while offering the Commanders an experienced backup option.
NFC Contract Details: McDuffie, Eagles, Oweh, Lloyd, Etienne, Giants, Packers, 49ers, Bucs
Here are the latest details from contracts agreed to around the NFC:
- Trent McDuffie, CB (Rams). Four years, $124MM. Although McDuffie secured $100MM guaranteed, $50MM is locked in at signing. But a rolling guarantee structure is in place. If on the Rams’ roster by Day 5 of the 2027 league year, McDuffie will see his 2028 base salary ($26.32MM) shift to a full guarantee, according to OverTheCap. On Day 5 of the 2028 league year, the All-Pro cornerback will see $23MM of his $29.82MM 2029 base salary become guaranteed. A $5MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2029 league year.
- Odafe Oweh, DE (Commanders). Four years, $96MM. Oweh will receive $50.6MM guaranteed at signing, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. An additional $17.4MM is guaranteed for injury. A $1MM roster bonus is due by April 1, 2029, according to Spotrac.
- Jordan Davis, DT (Eagles). Three years, $78MM. Of Davis’ reported $65MM guarantee, OverTheCap indicates $38.94MM is the at-signing number. If Davis is on the Eagles’ roster by Day 3 of the 2027 league year, his 2028 salary and a $24.2MM option bonus become guaranteed.
- Laremy Tunsil, LT (Commanders). Two years, $60.2MM. Tunsil secured $52.66MM guaranteed at signing on his third career extension, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. The Pro Bowl left tackle’s 2026 and ’27 compensation is fully guaranteed. An additional $8.85MM in 2028 compensation is guaranteed for injury.
- Travis Etienne, RB (Saints). Four years, $47MM. Etienne landed $24MM fully guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. That is tied for fifth among running backs. The ex-Jaguar secured a $4MM injury guarantee on his $12MM 2028 base salary, Terrell adds.
- Devin Lloyd, LB (Panthers). Three years, $42MM. The initial reports of $45MM covered the deal’s max value, though the reported $25MM guarantee is a full guarantee (per Wilson). This includes an $8.54MM guarantee of Lloyd’s $11.25MM 2027 base salary.
- Isaiah Likely, TE (Giants). Three years, $40MM. Likely landed $20.5MM guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. If the Giants move on after 2027, they would save $12MM.
- Chig Okonkwo, TE (Commanders). Three years, $27MM. The ex-Titan pass catcher scored $17.6MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The guarantee covers Okonkwo’s 2026 and ’27 compensation.
- Leo Chenal, LB (Commanders). Three years, $24.75MM. Chenal secured $12.4MM guaranteed, ESPN.com’s John Keim tweets.
- Javon Hargrave, DT (Packers). Two years, $23MM. Green Bay is giving Hargrave $10.5MM guaranteed at signing. ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky confirms, per usual with the Packers, the only guarantee comes via a signing bonus. A $3MM roster bonus is due next March.
- Alex Anzalone, LB (Buccaneers). Two years, $17MM. Anzalone’s contract includes $12MM guaranteed at signing, Wilson tweets.
- Eddy Pineiro, K (49ers). Four years, $17MM. The deal includes $8MM guaranteed at signing, with ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner indicating $10MM is guaranteed in total. Pineiro’s first two years are fully guaranteed; his 2028 base salary ($1.7MM) becomes guaranteed on April 1, 2027, Wagoner adds.
- Tyler Higbee, TE (Rams). Two years, $6MM. The initial $8MM number represents the deal’s max value, with Wilson adding $3.4MM of Higbee’s fourth contract is guaranteed.
Commanders To Re-Sign RB Jeremy McNichols
Jeremy McNichols will remain in place with the Commanders for 2026. The veteran running back is re-signing on a one-year deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
McNichols has been with Washington since 2024, head coach Dan Quinn‘s first season at the helm. Kliff Kingsbury guided the Commanders’ offense for each of the past two years, but David Blough will handle OC duties in 2026. His unit will once again include McNichols as a depth option.
The 30-year-old handled 55 carries during his first Washington campaign; that figure fell to 44 this past season. McNichols has totaled five rushing touchdowns while averaging 4.9 yards per attempt during his limited offensive opportunities in the nation’s capital. A split between offensive and special teams usage can be expected moving forward.
Washington lost Chris Rodriguez during the opening stages of free agency last week. The team lined up the addition of former Buccaneer Rachaad White during that same period, however. Jerome Ford is also set to play for the Commanders in 2026. Those two, along with incumbent Jacory Croskey-Merritt, will be tasked with handling much of the offensive workload in the backfield this season. McNichols could chip in if needed while offering depth at the running back spot.
Austin Ekeler remains unsigned at this point. The Commanders’ outside additions along with this re-signing point to a departure in his case. Washington, meanwhile, entered Monday with over $61MM in cap space. This latest McNichols pact will not affect that figure to a large extent, of course. Another deal at or near the veteran minimum can be expected in this case, one which will offer the Commanders with a familiar depth contributor on offense.
Commanders To Sign RB Jerome Ford
The Commanders are signing former Browns running back Jerome Ford to a one-year deal, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Ford, 26, is the second running back to join Washington’s backfield this week. Rachaad White signed his own one-year deal on Thursday; he, Ford, and 2025 seventh-round pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt will look to follow up the Commanders’ top-five rushing effort last season.
Ford was drafted by the Browns in the fifth round of the 2022 draft. He served as the team’s primary kickoff returner as a rookie and stepped into a starting role after Nick Chubb‘s season-ending knee injury. Ford led Cleveland’s backfield with 813 yards on 204 carries and chipped in 44 catches for 319 receiving yards, the fourth-most on the offense. He also tied with Kareem Hunt for the team lead with nine total touchdowns.
In 2024, Ford maintained a strong role in the backfield as Chubb finished his rehab, though he was not as much of a lead back as the year before. He again paced the team in rushing and was the fifth-leading receiver, though he only found the end zone three times. Though Chubb left in free agency the following offseason, the Browns did not give Ford a featured role in 2025. Instead, they drafted two rookie running backs – Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson – who dominated the backfield and made Ford an afterthought in Cleveland.
In Washington, Ford gives the Commanders another experienced option in their backfield behind Croskey-Merritt and White. Croskey-Merritt barely factored into the receiving game as a rookie, so White will likely take on a third-down role in 2026. Ford profiles as more of an all-purpose RB3 who can eat carries and step in on passing downs as needed.
Commanders Re-Sign G Chris Paul
Playing the last season of his four-year rookie contract in 2025, Commanders guard Chris Paul logged his first 17-game campaign and totaled a career-high 15 starts. The Commanders are now bringing Paul back on a one-year deal, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports.
Paul wanted to test the market, per John Keim of ESPN, but the former seventh-rounder from Tulsa did not find any compelling reason to leave Washington. While he explored “many options,” according to Schultz, Paul’s desire to continue playing alongside stalwart left tackle Laremy Tunsil won out. Tunsil reeled in a market-setting extension earlier this week.
The 27-year-old Paul entered last season with just 17 games’ experience and eight starts under his belt. He took on a full-time role when the Commanders benched 2024 third-rounder Brandon Coleman in Week 3.
In the wake of Coleman’s demotion, Paul started at left guard for the rest of the year and finished third among Commanders offensive linemen in snap share (87.86%). Pro Football Focus took a negative view of Paul’s performance in ranking him 69th 79 qualifying guards, though he drew wildly different reviews as a run blocker and pass blocker. Only three guards earned a higher pass-blocking grade than Paul’s 78.2. On the other hand, just three posted worse run-blocking grades than his 38.2 mark.
A vastly improved showing in the running game should help the 6-foot-4, 324-pound Paul secure a better deal a year from now. In the meantime, he could rejoin Tunsil, right tackle Josh Conerly and right guard Samuel Cosmi as starters along Washington’s line in 2026. The Commanders are facing uncertainty at center, though, having released two-year starter Tyler Biadasz in late February. While the team tried to sign the best free agent center available, Tyler Linderbaum, he instead joined the Raiders on a record-setting pact for his position.
Commanders To Bring Back WR Dyami Brown, Sign WR Van Jefferson
Dyami Brown‘s Jaguars signing did not produce a great return for the AFC South franchise, and the sides will separate after one season. Brown will receive a second chance in Washington, however.
The Commanders are bringing back their former third-round wide receiver draftee, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. It is a one-year deal worth up to $3MM. Veteran wideout Van Jefferson is also joining Washington, The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala reports.
Despite a thin resume on his Washington rookie contract, Brown scored a $10MM Jacksonville guarantee. He caught just 20 passes for 227 yards and one touchdown. The Jaguars acquired both Tim Patrick and Jakobi Meyers after adding Brown last year, and the North Carolina alum played 38% of the team’s offensive snaps during a season that featured Travis Hunter shut down at the midpoint.
That 227-yard showing represented Brown’s second-best as a pro; he reached a career-high 308 in 2024. For a player without a 350-yard season, Brown has managed to remain a viable option for teams in free agency. He joins a Commanders roster that may lose Deebo Samuel on this year’s market. Washington has Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane complementing Terry McLaurin. Washington also re-signed Treylon Burks this offseason.
Jefferson has put up more impressive numbers as a pro, though his 802-yard performance in the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI-winning season now looks fluky. The former second-round pick has not surpassed 375 yards in a season since. Though, he did manage a 350-yard showing last season on a bad Titans team.
Heading into an age-30 season, Jefferson is heading to a fifth NFL team over the past four years. The Rams traded him in a low-level pick swap in 2023, sending the Florida alum to the Falcons. The Steelers deployed Jefferson as a role player in 2024, and the Titans handed him a $1.67MM deal last year. Jefferson and Brown will compete for roles in the Commanders’ McLaurin-fronted receiving corps.
Commanders To Re-Sign OL Trenton Scott
Trenton Scott will be back for another season in Washington. The veteran offensive lineman is re-signing with the Commanders, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The lineman bounced around the NFL a bit to begin his career, spending time with the Chargers, Panthers, and Steelers. He started a career-high nine games in Los Angeles in 2019. Scott inked a two-year deal with the Commanders in 2023, and he inked a new one-year contract with the organization last offseason. He’s seen time in 35 games during his stint in Washington, starting six games. He also saw some significant playing time during the 2024 postseason while filling in for Sam Cosmi.
He dropped down the depth chart last offseason following the additions of LT Laremy Tunsil and rookie RT Josh Conerly. That led to him finishing the campaign with only eight appearances and 82 offensive snaps.
Conerly, Tunsil, and Cosmi will all be back on Washington’s OL in 2026, but the rest of the grouping remains uncertain. The team cut center Tyler Biadasz while guard Chris Paul remains unsigned. The Commanders surely aren’t done adding to the position, but Scott could find himself competing with the likes of Nick Allegretti for a significant role next season.