It’s been hard to find bright spots on the Washington Commanders roster headed into the 2026 regular season.
Every time things seem like they’re going well, something bad happens.
Now, the hope is that the final insult won’t be a dismal season like the 1 fans just endured — a 5-12 regular-season record after playing in the NFC Championship Game the previous year.
If the Commanders can pull off a miracle and turn things around, 1 big reason will probably be the play of free-agent tight end Chig Okonkwo, who came to Washington on a 3-year, $27 million free-agent contract.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton singled Okonkwo out as the NFL’s “Biggest Sleeper” at his position in 2026.
“Even though the Washington Commanders signed wideout Stefon Diggs, who will command a fair number of targets as the No. 2 receiver, the team inked Chig Okonkwo to a sizeable deal early in free agency,” Moton wrote on September 10. “As the immediate replacement for Zach Ertz, who was second on the team in targets for back-to-back years with Jayden Daniels under center, Okonkwo could be picking up a big role despite Diggs’ late offseason arrival in Washington.”
Chig Okonkwo NFL’s Top Free Agent Tight End
The Commanders were in dire straits at tight end following the 2025 season.
Veteran starter Zach Ertz suffered a catastrophic knee injury in Week 14. Second-round pick Ben Sinnott still seemed like a bust after 2 seasons.
Another tight end, John Bates, is basically getting paid $7 million per year to block, which makes little sense for a team without an elite running back.
The Commanders needed a playmaker, so they went out and got 1 in free agency with Okonkwo, who they signed on the opening day of the official negotiating period.
“The Commanders are expected to sign free agent TE Chig Okonkwo, giving him a 3-year deal worth up to $30M,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account. “The Commanders land the top tight end available.”
In 4 seasons with the Tennesse Titans, Okonkwo had 194 receptions for 2,017 yards and 8 touchdowns.
According to Pro Football Focus, he’s 5th among all NFL tight ends over the last 4 seasons with 39 missed tackles forced.
Chig Okonkwo Called ‘Top Trade Asset’ Before Season
Okonkwo, 6-foot-3 and 238 pounds, spent his first 4 seasons on the Titans playing for increasingly worse teams — and 3 different head coaches. Tennessee went 7-10 in 2022, 6-11 in 2023, and 3-14 in 2024 and 2025.
He was also called one of the NFL’s top trade assets before the 2025 season as the Titans went in looking at a full-on rebuild with 2025 No. 1 overall pick and quarterback Cam Ward.
As a senior at Maryland in 2021, Okonkwo had career highs of 52 receptions for 447 yards and 5 touchdowns.
“Tennessee took Okonkwo in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and thanks to his freakish athleticism, there were heavy expectations for the University of Maryland product,” Sports Illustrated’s Matthew Schmidt wrote in April 2025. “Okonkwo is still just 25 years old, so he could also represent a potential trade candidate in the coming months, and he would certainly have some value. Maybe Tennessee is considering making sweeping changes as the (Cam) Ward era begins.”
Commanders’ $27 Million Free Agent Called NFL’s ‘Biggest Sleeper’