The Washington Commanders broke the bank to bring edge rusher and former 1st-round pick Odafe Oweh into the fold — now they need him to produce.
“Dan Quinn addressing the media. Good news on the injury front: Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson and Jacory Croskey-Merritt are all cleared and will play Sunday,” Commanders reporter Zach Selby wrote on X on Friday.
The Commanders open the regular season on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Dan Quinn said everyone was medically cleared to play in Week 1 in Philly,” The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala wrote on his official X account. “Means Jacory ‘Bill’ Croskey-Merritt (groin), Odafe Oweh (calf), K’Lavon Chaisson (knee), Daron Payne (knee) are full go.”
Oweh signed a 4-year, $96 million free-agent contract with the Commanders in March after spending the 1st 4 seasons of his career with the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers.
Contract Called NFL’s Worst Free-Agent Signing
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport called Oweh’s contract, which included almost $70 million in guaranteed money, the NFL’s “Worst Free Agent Signing” in 2026.
“The Washington Commanders can’t be faulted for targeting a pass-rusher in free agency—the team had 42 sacks in 2025, but the leading edge-rusher in that category was 37-year-old Von Miller,” Davenport wrote. “Oweh had just 13 sacks over the first three seasons of his career combined. He has never been much of a factor against the run — he has hit the 40-tackle mark just once. His 47 pressures and 16.4 percent pass-rush win rate last year per PFF were good, but not great. Oweh’s average annual salary ranks among the 12 best edge-rushers in the game. His production and talent does not.”
Oweh Went From 1st Round Pick to Disposable
The Baltimore Ravens saw enough of Oweh, their 2021 1st round pick (No. 31 overall), that they decided they didn’t want to see any more of him just 5 games into the 2025 regular season.
The Ravens, in more of a “We Give Up” move than anything else, traded Oweh to the Los Angeles Chargers for safety Alohi Gilman and a 7th-round pick, and weren’t any worse for it.
While Oweh reclaimed his season with the Chargers and wound up with 7.5 sacks in 2025, he didn’t even become a full-time starter in Los Angeles.
Commanders Get Good Injury News on $96 Million Free Agent