The Washington Commanders knew they had a problem on defense entering the 2026 NFL season, they just didn’t know one of their more unheralded players would be solving it by being a “stabilizing force.”
That’s how Daniel Popper of the Athletic described veteran nose tackle Tim Settle Jr. Popper explained how “Under new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, the Commanders have been one of the best run defenses in football through three weeks. They rank third in EPA per rush, according to TruMedia.”
Holding the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks to just 44 yards on the ground in Week 3 continued the upward trend for the Commanders’ run defense. A trend Popper believes owes a lot to Settle being “stout against the run.”
Popper also credited Settle for having “tipped a Sam Darnold pass that was picked off by rookie linebacker Sonny Styles,” but the ball hit big No. 97 squarely in the grid square and bounced off his facemask.
Settle’s more valuable anchoring a run D’ the Commanders “can hang their hat on,” after surrendering “only 110 rushing yards in the past two games.”
Those numbers make Settle’s $24 million contract look like a bargain. He’s inspiring a transformation crucial for making Jones’ elaborate schemes work.
Bargain Tim Settle Is Making Everybody Better
Stacking Settle’s relatively modest three-year deal alongside what the Commanders spent on other defensive recruits reveals the value for money they’re getting from their former fifth-round draft pick who returned after stints with the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans.
Commanders’ general manager Adam Peters controversially handed $100 million to edge-rusher Odafe Oweh, who’s registered just one sack through three games. Oweh’s fellow new edge defender K’Lavon Chaisson is set to earn $12 million this season for so far mediocre production.
Settle’s more than earning his keep. He’s absorbing double teams over the ball to redirect runners so others can make tackles.
The others benefitting most often from Settle’s efforts are fellow defensive tackles Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw. All three are pushing the pile and creating attack lanes for inside linebackers like breakout rookie Styles to get downhill and stuff running plays at source.
That’s how the 3-4 front Jones learned from Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator Brian Flores works. D-linemen must take punishment so more athletic disruptors can grab the glory.
Settle’s embracing his unfashionable, but vital role. The defensive front he’s leading is providing the platform for everything Jones wants to call.
Commanders Unleashing Full Range of New Defense
Settle and Co. making run stuffs on early downs is giving Jones more opportunities to send pressure in obvious passing situations. The first-year play-caller is seizing his chance by having the Commanders blitz “on 42.2% of their opponent’s drop backs (5th highest rate in the NFL) according to NFL Pro,” per The Washington Post’s Tashan Reed.
Jones took relentless blitzing from the Flores’ playbook, but it isn’t necessarily working for the Commanders. Reed also pointed out “their pass rush has been relatively average. They have a pressure rate of 37.9% (13th).”
A lack of pressure and sacks (five in three games) rates as a concern, but Jones’ plan is still taking shape. He wants his defense to earn the right to blitz, and that process starts with stopping the run.
The more sophisticated pressure packages Jones gets to unleash on offenses forced by Settle and Co. to go pass-heavy, the more pressure and sacks the Commanders will generate.
Commanders Praised for Signing ‘Stabilizing Force’