The Washington Commanders were hoping that 2026 might finally be the year they see some return on their investment in defensive tackle and 2024 2nd-round pick Johnny Newton.
Those hopes may have been dashed with head coach Dan Quinn’s injury update on Wednesday morning — and an updated report on Wednesday night.
“Injury updates: DL Johnny Newton (pec) is seeing a specialist in NY-some concerns that it could be long term; K’Lavon Chaisson (knee, not significant); Odafe Oweh (strained calf); Jordan Magee (shoulder),” ESPN’s John Keim wrote on X on Wednesday.
Newton’s diagnosis ended up being about as bad as it gets — a torn pectoral muscle.
“Sources: Commanders DT Johnny Newton underwent surgery for a torn pectoral muscle and is expected to miss significant time,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account on Wednesday night. “The former Illinois standout has 82 tackles, 7 sacks (5 last year), 2 forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in 33 career games.’
Newton Called Likely Trade Candidate in Offseason
Pro Football Focus NFL reporter Bradley Locker called Newton 1 of the NFL’s top trade candidates in May.
“The Commanders relentlessly fortified their ailing defense this offseason, including along the defensive line,” Locker wrote. “However, that negatively affects someone like Newton. The 36th overall pick in 2024 hasn’t blossomed as Washington would’ve hoped, notching a career 50.0 overall PFF grade with a 38.6 PFF run-defense grade. Yet what has been encouraging is Newton’s pass-rushing, as his 9.3% pass-rush win rate placed in the 63rd percentile last year.”
Newton is headed into the 3rd year of his 4-year, $9.75 million rookie contract in 2026.
Newton Has Spent Career Buried on Depth Chart
Newton, who was projected as a 1st-round pick, had the unfortunate luck of entering the NFL draft in the most offense-crazy year in league history. In 2024, an NFL-record 14 consecutive offensive picks kicked off the draft before a defensive player was taken.
He stepped into a situation in Washington as a rookie in which he was automatically taking a back seat to a pair of Pro Bowl defensive tackles in Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.
After Allen was released following the 2024 season and it seemed like Newton was about to make the move into a starting role, the Commanders signed defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw to a 3-year, $45 milllion free-agent contract.
Again, Newton had to take a backseat. Only this time it was to an inarguably ineffective player in Kinlaw, who has been widely labeled the NFL’s worst free-agent signing from the 2025 cycle.
Commanders Defender Will Miss ‘Significant Time’ Following Injury