Commanders To Sign DT Tim Settle
Tim Settle will return to Washington in 2026. The veteran defensive tackle has agreed to a Commanders deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
This will be a three-year pact with a base value of $24MM. The contract could max out at $25.5MM. Settle played in Washington from 2018-21, and he will now return to the fold.
The Commanders will be quite different for Settle this time around. They weren’t even the Commanders when he last played in the nation’s capital. Joining the team during Ryan Kerrigan‘s OLB era, Settle later teamed with the team’s four younger first-round D-linemen — Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Montez Sweat, Chase Young. All but Payne are gone, and the 2018 first-rounder is in a contract year. Washington traded Sweat and Young in 2023 and cut Allen last year.
Working alongside the foursome during its lone full season of health together (2020), Settle tallied five sacks that season. That 2020 campaign undoubtedly helped Settle cash in as a free agent. He signed a two-year, $9MM Bills deal. Buffalo, however, gave Settle a pay cut during the 2023 offseason. He then signed a two-year, $6MM Texans deal.
A starter in DeMeco Ryans‘ defense, Settle is seeing by far the biggest payday of his career. The Texans’ dominant defense assuredly helped the veteran cash in. Ryans used Settle as a full-time starter in 2025, but Settle’s more productive season came a year prior. He totaled a career-best 10 tackles for loss and matched his career high with five sacks in 2024. ESPN’s run stop win rate metric also viewed Settle as sporting the league’s fifth-best mark in 2024.
Settle will join Payne and 2025 free agency addition Javon Kinlaw at D-tackle in Washington. This has the makings of a quality two-deep, with former second-round pick Jer’Zhan Newton in place as a backup. Newton has not made a big impact yet, however, and this Settle signing may further interfere with the Illinois alum.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Commanders, Odafe Oweh Agree To Deal
Another one of the major pass rush dominoes around the NFL has fallen. Odafe Oweh will neither return to the Ravens nor remain in place with the Chargers.
Instead, he will head to the nation’s capital. A four-year deal has been agreed to with the Commanders, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. This will be a $100MM pact including $68MM guaranteed, Schefter adds.
This represents a big-ticket payday for another of this market’s edge rushers. Jaelan Phillips secured a four-year, $120MM Panthers deal earlier today, and Oweh will do very well for another team in need of pass-rushing support. The Commanders largely ignored their EDGE need in 2025, settling for an aging Von Miller just before training camp. While Miller was productive (team-high nine sacks), the team set out to do better this offseason. Oweh checks a key box.
Recording 17.5 sacks over the past two seasons, Oweh joined Phillips and Trey Hendrickson as this market’s top edge rushers. The four-year commitment will help inflate Oweh’s guarantee, and $68MM tops where the Chiefs went for George Karlaftis on his 2025 extension. The cap climbing past $301MM this offseason is benefiting players today. Oweh, 27, is the NFL’s 13th-highest-paid edge rusher as a result of this agreement. That checks in just south of the Broncos’ Nik Bonitto pact.
Oweh joined Phillips and Kwity Paye as edge rushers to play out their fifth-year option seasons. Like Phillips, Oweh was traded during his. The five-year veteran’s Chargers stay helped ignite his free agent market. After a sackless five games in Baltimore, Oweh recorded 7.5 QB drops during his Chargers run. That turned out to be a rental period.
Although the Chargers expressed interest in re-signing Oweh, they agreed to terms with Khalil Mack and have a Tuli Tuipulotu extension to negotiate this offseason. Oweh almost definitely, based on where the Tuipulotu payday will land, priced himself out of L.A.’s comfort zone.
No Oweh six-sack seasons transpired from 2021-23, but the Ravens still picked up his fifth-year option. Baltimore saw Oweh register 10 sacks in 2024, and he closed out his rookie contract by combining for 41 QB hits from 2024-25. The Commanders still have Dorance Armstrong tied to his three-year, $30MM contract, but after regarding him as a de facto A-side rusher, Washington looks set to have Oweh in that role moving forward.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Commanders To Re-Sign Marcus Mariota
The Commanders will once again have stability at the quarterback spot in 2026. Marcus Mariota has agreed to another new Washington deal.
The veteran quarterback is set to re-sign on a one-year deal, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. This latest Mariota contract has a base value of $7MM and can top out at $11MM via incentives. Mariota has been with the Commanders since Jayden Daniels‘ rookie season (2024), and the two will continue to work together.
Knee and elbow issues forced Daniels to miss more than half his games in 2025, opening the door for Mariota to start eight of his 11 appearances. This was the most work the veteran QB had seen since he started 13 games for the Falcons back in 2022.
The results were mixed. The Commanders ended up going only 2-6 in Mariota’s eight starts, but the QB did manage to toss 10 touchdowns vs. only seven interceptions. He also had one of his most productive rushing seasons since his early days in Tennessee. The 32-year-old ultimately finished the 2025 campaign with 297 rushing yards on 50 carries.
The Commanders are hoping they won’t see nearly as much of Mariota in 2026. However, another sizable commitment to the backup QB at least shows that the team isn’t entirely comfortable with Daniels’ health.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Commanders To Add CB Amik Robertson
Amik Robertson hit free agency a second time, and he will again choose to depart his current team. The recent Lions cornerback is joining the Commanders, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports.
Washington is giving the former Raiders draftee a two-year, $16MM deal that includes $9.3MM guaranteed. Robertson, 27, spent the past two years with the Lions and started 14 games with the team.
A 2020 fourth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech, Robertson spent the first four seasons of his career with the Raiders. After making only brief cameos on defense through his first two years in the NFL, he got into more than half of his team’s defensive snaps in 2022 and 2023. That latter campaign still represents the cornerback’s best season, as Robertson finished the campaign with 50 tackles and a pair of interceptions.
That performance earned him a two-year, $9.25MM contract ($4.5MM guaranteed) with the Lions the following offseason. He didn’t miss a game during his time in Detroit, starting 14 of his 34 appearances. He got into a career-high 76 percent of his team’s defensive snaps this past season, finishing with 52 stops and a career-high 12 passes defended. He allowed a career-high eight touchdowns.
Robertson has shown the ability to play both on the outside and in the slot, although he’s likely eyeing that latter role in Washington. Trey Amos and Mike Sainristil are currently penciled in as the Commanders’ two outside CBs. For Detroit, this is a tough subtraction for a squad that has some question marks in their secondary. Terrion Arnold is currently being investigated for his ties to a kidnapping and robbery plot, while safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are both returning from season-ending injuries.
Commanders To Give LT Laremy Tunsil Record-Setting Extension
The Commanders have their extension agreement with Laremy Tunsil in place. Long rumored as a player Washington wanted to pay, Tunsil has secured a third career extension.
Tunsil agreed to a two-year, $60.2MM extension, insider Jordan Schultz reports. He is the NFL’s first $30MM offensive lineman. For the third time in his career, Tunsil has secured a market-setting extension. Tunsil will receive a $32.5MM signing bonus and a $61.5MM guarantee on a contract that now runs through 2028.
GM Adam Peters said a Tunsil deal was a priority. Considering the four-pick haul the Commanders sent the Texans for the Pro Bowl blocker, that made sense. Tunsil’s deal aligns with Jayden Daniels‘ rookie contract, and Washington entered Monday among the league’s leaders in cap space. Tunsil managing to score another market-topping deal ahead of his age-32 season burnishes his credentials as one of this era’s savviest negotiators.
Rumblings about an extension push emerged in December. The Texans paid the former first-rounder in 2020 and 2023. Tunsil played the 2025 season tied to a three-year, $75MM deal. That pact was set to expire after the 2026 season. The Texans not prioritizing a Tunsil deal in 2024 led them to move on, and after the Commanders saw Tunsil primarily protect Marcus Mariota last season, they will secure his rights beyond 2026 to block for Daniels.
Pro Football Focus ranked Tunsil seventh among qualified tackles in 2025, ranking him as the NFL’s second-best pass blocker. While a Pro Bowl nod did not follow this time, Tunsil secured five of those prior to his Washington arrival. He shrewdly leveraged his 2019 trade price — which included two first-round picks — in 2020 Texans negotiations, scoring a $22MM-per-year deal. After the tackle market did not move much between 2020 and ’23, Tunsil signed that 3/75 Houston extension — one that included $50MM at signing. He continues to do well on this front; the Commanders will need the decorated blocker to keep at his current pace to justify the latest windfall.
Washington released Tyler Biadasz last week, and while they were linked to Tyler Linderbaum, the team already has a higher-end guard salary (Sam Cosmi‘s). It will be interesting to see if Linderbaum joins a line that already has a tackle-record deal as of Monday morning.
Commanders Preparing Aggressive Tyler Linderbaum Run; Giants, Raiders, Titans In Mix
The Tyler Linderbaum market is expected to produce a center-record contract — probably by a decent margin. Ranked No. 1 on PFR’s top 50 free agents list, the three-time Pro Bowler is less than 24 hours from reaching free agency. Teams will be preparing big offers to lock down their snapper posts.
Should the Ravens not come in with an 11th-hour deal to keep Linderbaum off the market, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports the Commanders are preparing an aggressive run. They will not be the only ones. The Giants, Raiders and Titans are teams to monitor here as well, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler.
As expected, Fowler points to this market easily exceeding $20MM per year. Creed Humphrey has held the top center contract (four years, $72MM) since August 2024, but with Baltimore being thus far unable to complete a deal with Linderbaum, the open market will help do the work to raise the bar and provide the NFL its first $20MM-AAV center accord.
The Ravens have offered market-topping money, but Linderbaum likely knows multiple big offers will come his way once the legal tampering period opens at 11am CT Monday. A $25MM-per-year target — which would top both the center and guard markets — has been floated as a goal for the acclaimed blocker here.
Washington just released two-year center starter Tyler Biadasz, who since duplicated his three-year, $30MM deal with the Chargers. Street free agency rarely brings such occurrences, pointing to reasonable Commanders confidence they can upgrade on Biadasz. The Bills took Connor McGovern off the market Saturday, raising the stakes a bit for Washington to bring in this market’s biggest fish.
The Giants were connected to Linderbaum not long after hiring John Harbaugh. Even though Todd Monken did not head to New York as Harbaugh preferred, the team has not seen former second-rounder John Michael Schmitz become an upper-crust center through three years. A roster-reshaping effort is coming from Big Blue’s new honcho. Holding barely $14MM in cap space, though, the Giants are well behind the other three known members in this market. New York will need to make more moves to free up funds to compete for Linderbaum.
Both the Raiders and Titans are flush with cap space and could flex their muscles soon. The Raiders’ Maxx Crosby trade moved them past $121MM in cap room, and they will be spenders soon. Las Vegas cut part-time 2025 center Alex Cappa and did not see RFA Jordan Meredith play especially well in that role either. The Titans just released two-year center Lloyd Cushenberry. While Cushenberry disappointed on a $12.5MM-per-year deal, Linderbaum brings far more consistency than the former Broncos draftee here. Fireworks will be expected soon, as a Linderbaum accord will be one of Monday’s headliners.
Colts WR Alec Pierce, Packers WR Romeo Doubs Drawing Extensive Interest; Pierce Prefers To Stay In Indy
Since the Colts have placed the transition tag on QB Daniel Jones, the only way they can keep WR Alec Pierce from speaking to interested teams when the legal tampering period opens tomorrow is by agreeing to terms on a new contract. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler expects negotiations between Pierce and Indianapolis to go down to the wire, and there are a number of clubs waiting to pounce if a deal is not consummated.
Fowler names the Patriots, Commanders, Raiders, and Titans as teams that are in the mix for Pierce. New England’s interest was noted previously, and with the club set to make Stefon Diggs a one-and-done in Foxborough, it makes sense that it wants to bring in another weapon for third-year QB (and 2025 MVP runner-up) Drake Maye.
After advancing to the NFC Championship Game in Jayden Daniels’ rookie year in 2024, the Commanders limped to a 5-12 mark last season. That was due in large part to Daniels’ health woes, which limited him to just seven games, but Washington could stand to bolster its contingent of pass-catchers. Beyond WR1 Terry McLaurin, the club has Luke McCaffrey, Treylon Burks, and 2025 fourth-rounder Jaylin Lane under contract for 2026.
That trio combined for 558 receiving yards and four TDs last year, so a player with Pierce’s abilities would be a welcome addition. Fowler hears this free agency period could be an especially active one for the Commanders, who have roughly $90MM in cap space and who are looking to capitalize on Daniels’ rookie-contract window. In addition to wide receiver, Washington is interested in upgrading at running back, cornerback, edge rusher, and possibly tight end. Fowler names the team as a “sleeper” for Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans, whom the Buccaneers are actively trying to re-sign.
The Raiders will release veteran signal-caller Geno Smith and are poised to select QB Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the draft. Even though Las Vegas reportedly prefers to keep Mendoza on the bench for at least the early stages of his rookie campaign, adding weapons for him will be a key goal. According to Fowler, the Raiders are also interested in Rashid Shaheed, who has a big fan in new head coach Klint Kubiak (Kubiak, of course, has worked with Shaheed in both New Orleans and Seattle). Fowler cautions that the Raiders’ bigger need is the offensive line, but the club has plenty of spending power with over $120MM in cap room.
Like the other teams mentioned in connection with Pierce, the Titans are looking to add receiving help for a young quarterback. Tennessee is hoping Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 draft, will progress quickly under the tutelage of new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, and acquiring proven pass-catchers will be key in achieving that goal (particularly with Calvin Ridley on the chopping block). The team has been connected to the Giants’ Wan’Dale Robinson as well.
Pierce is a big-play threat who has led the NFL in yards-per-catch in each of the past two seasons. However, some evaluators believe the Packers’ Romeo Doubs is the most well-rounded receiver eligible for free agency this year, and in addition to Pierce’s market, the Patriots, Commanders, and Titans are closely monitoring Doubs’ situation.
The 49ers are looking at Doubs as well, per Fowler. The four-year Packer, who is also expected to draw interest from the Bills, has three 600-plus-yard seasons on his resume, including a career-high 724 (on 13.2 yards per catch) in 2025. San Francisco could lose Jauan Jennings to the open market and is set to move on from Brandon Aiyuk, making wide receiver an obvious area of need. Green Bay, though, has not ruled out a Doubs re-up; GM Brian Gutekunst said at this year’s scouting combine that he would love to see the Nevada product return (via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk).
Fowler confirms Pierce, who has a close relationship with Jones, would prefer to stay with the Colts. That said, the Cincinnati product is in line for a deal paying him at least $27MM per year, and if Indianapolis does not pony up that kind of cash, it may not be able to keep Pierce in the fold.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/6/26
Here are today’s NFL minor moves as we head into the final weekend before the start of free agency:
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: RB Tyler Badie, DT Jordan Jackson, S Devon Key, OLB Dondrea Tillman
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: S M.J. Stewart
Los Angeles Chargers
- Re-signed: RB Jaret Patterson, S Kendall Williamson
New York Giants
- Released: T James Hudson
Washington Commanders
- Re-signed: K Jake Moody
Initially opening the season as a starter on the line in New York in place of Andrew Thomas, Hudson was benched after struggling in a first-string role. He had been signed to serve as a swing tackle for the Giants, but after his early-season struggles, he failed to see much playing time for the remainder of the season.
After getting waived by the team that drafted him in the third round, Moody landed on the Bears’ practice squad before the Commanders signed him to their active roster. Washington made the move after watching Moody connect on eight of nine field goal attempts in two games for Chicago then watched Moody convert 10 of 11 for their team over the final six weeks of the season. Not willing to pay the prices on a restricted free agent tender, the Commanders opted not to tender him but continued on the path to a new deal as an unrestricted free agent.
Commanders To Re-Sign Treylon Burks
Treylon Burks will have another chance in Washington. Washing out in Tennessee, the former first-round pick has agreed to a second contract with the Commanders.
The fifth-year veteran is signing a one-year deal worth up to $4MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Washington added Burks soon after his Tennessee release and used him as an auxiliary wideout alongside Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel last season.
Catching 10 passes for 130 yards (and one memorable touchdown) in his 2025 stint in Washington, Burks will attempt to continue his bounce-back effort after a disappointing Titans tenure. The Titans waived the Arkansas product from IR via injury settlement in October of last year, and a practice squad opportunity with the Commanders emerged soon after.
Burks made one of last season’s most memorable plays, snagging a one-handed touchdown reception despite tight coverage from Broncos cornerback Riley Moss during a Sunday-night contest in November. That was only Burks’ second NFL touchdown, however. With Samuel a free agent, the Commanders will see how Burks fits in new OC David Blough‘s offense.
Entering the NFL with injury concerns, Burks missed 12 games over his first two seasons and played in just five games in 2024. An ACL tear ended Burks’ 2024 season, and he sustained a broken collarbone during Titans camp last summer. Added with the first-round choice Tennessee acquired from Philadelphia for A.J. Brown, Burks has 63 career receptions for 829 yards. The 225-pound pass catcher is entering his age-26 season.
49ers, Bills, Chargers, Commanders, Giants Could Pursue Mike Evans
MARCH 6: A new Buccaneers deal remains something to watch for in this case, Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports reports. He adds the Titans and Raiders could also be in play provided the “right deal” can be worked out, though.
MARCH 4: Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans has established himself as a franchise icon over his 12-year career. The six-time Pro Bowler could continue his career in Tampa Bay next season, but he will at least hear other teams out in free agency.
In 2024, the last time Evans was on the cusp of free agency, the Buccaneers stopped him from reaching the open market with a two-year, $52MM offer. Evans was then coming off one of the best seasons of a potential Hall of Fame career. He caught 79 passes for 1,255 yards and a personal-high 13 touchdowns in his lone 17-game campaign.
Soon to turn 33, Evans is now looking for a new deal on the heels of his worst year. Multiple injuries – including a hamstring strain and a broken clavicle – held Evans to eight games, 30 receptions, 368 yards and three scores. His nine absences prevented him from a 12th straight 1,000-yard season, which would have given him the all-time record. He instead will remain tied with the legendary Jerry Rice for that honor.
Although 2025 fell well short of a typical Evans year, he will have no shortage of interest on the open market. Evans may not do as well on his next deal, but a pact in the range of $20MM per year is realistic, sources told Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. The 49ers, Bills, Chargers, Commanders and Giants are among potential suitors for the 6-foot-5, 231-pounder, per Jones.
The 49ers, Bills and Chargers were all playoff teams last season, which should appeal to Evans. As part of an 8-9 Bucs squad, the one-time Super Bowl winner missed out on postseason play for the first time since 2019 last year.
San Francisco could lose pending free agent Jauan Jennings, who led the team’s wide receivers in catches (55), yards (643) and touchdowns (nine) last season. The 49ers will also finalize a divorce from Brandon Aiyuk sometime soon.
The Josh Allen-led Bills are in dire need of at least one high-end outside complement to reliable slot man Khalil Shakir. The 2024 second-round selection of Keon Coleman has not worked out, and neither have recent free agent signings Josh Palmer and Curtis Samuel. Odds are the Bills will cut Samuel this offseason. They are also facing the possible departure of Brandin Cooks in free agency.
The Chargers have wideouts Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston and 2025 second-rounder Tre Harris under contract for next season. Perennially productive 33-year-old Keenan Allen is unsigned, which leaves room for a venerable veteran pass catcher. That could still be Allen, but Evans is at least on the Chargers’ radar.
The Commanders and Giants were miles from the playoffs last year, but both teams at least have prized young quarterbacks. Washington’s Jayden Daniels won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors during a dazzling NFL introduction in 2024. He helped lead the Commanders to 12 wins and an NFC title game in his first season, but they skidded to 5-12 during an injury-ravaged 2025. Daniels missed 10 games, and No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin sat out seven.
Adding Evans to a healthy Daniels and McLaurin could make for a potent Washington passing attack in 2026. Whether it’s Evans or someone else, the Commanders will add to a receiving corps that could see Deebo Samuel walk away in free agency.
As a rookie last season, Giants signal-caller Jaxson Dart impressed despite losing No. 1 receiver Malik Nabers to a season-ending ACL tear in Week 4. Wan’Dale Robinson stepped up as Dart’s go-to target, but he is now nearing free agency. There is reportedly a good chance the Giants will re-sign Robinson, but he primarily works from the slot. There would still be room for Evans on the outside. That would give Dart and the new head coach-offensive coordinator duo of John Harbaugh–Matt Nagy a formidable receiver trio.
Among wideouts scheduled to hit the open market, the Colts’ Alec Pierce should have the most earning power on a long-term contract. No soon-to-be free agent has a better resume than Evans, though, and that will help him secure another strong payday on a short-term agreement.