If the Washington Commanders have a plan in place for their inside linebackers, it’s not totally clear at this point.
The Commanders already had 1 high-priced inside linebacker on the roster in NFL All-Pro Frankie Luvu, then signed another in free agency with 2-time Super Bowl champion Leo Chenal on a 3-year, $24.75 million contract.
Finally, Washington used the No. 7 overall pick in the 1st round of the 2026 NFL draft on superstar Ohio State inside linebacker Sonny Styles and signed him to a fully guaranteed 4-year, $37.2 million contract.
It’s created a logjam at the position. Not to mention it doesn’t make much sense financially.
That’s why the Commanders would be smart to try to trade Luvu before the season starts, when his value is highest. In return, they could likely get a Day 3 pick or a possible WR3 option, because they’re in desperate need of both.
Luvu, who turns 30 in September, should still have primo value to other teams despite a down 2025 that was more on the shoulders of head coach Dan Quinn and fired defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. It was Quinn and Whitt who saw Luvu go off in 2024 on the way to earning NFL All-Pro honors for the 1st time, then changed his role in the defense in 2025.
Luvu Previously Called ‘Top Trade Asset’
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine already tagged Luvu as the team’s “Top Trade Asset” this offseason — a full 2 months before the Commanders drafted Styles.
Luvu could be an attractive trade target for a contender as 1 of the NFL’s most versatile linebackers, and the fact that he’s in the last year of the free-agent contract he signed with the Commanders before the 2024 season.
“Frankie Luvu’s ability to play off-ball linebacker and edge is nice,” Ballentine wrote. “But he’s 29 years old and in need of an extension after this season. It might be best to trade him off after seeing his sacks go from eight in 2024 to three in 2025.”
Commanders Made Bizarre Defensive Decision
It’s not hard to tie Whitt’s firing after a 5-12 season in 2025 to the change in Luvu’s usage compared to the previous season.
In his first season with the Commanders in 2024, Luvu, 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, filled up the stat sheet with 99 tackles, 8.0 sacks, 14 QB hits, 12 TFL, 7 pass deflections, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 forced fumble.
In 2025, Whitt made the inexplicable decision to remove Luvu from almost all pass-rush scenarios. In return, Washington finished dead last in the NFL in total defense.
One Other Option: Create 3-Headed Monster at LB
While the prudent thing for the Commanders to do would be to trade Luvu, another option is to go for the brass ring and create a 3-headed monster at inside linebacker.
Chenal, Luvu, and Styles all have 1 thing in common — they are all incredibly versatile. If they keep all 3, it’s on new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones to figure out how to get them all on the field.
Chenal and Luvu are both kamikaze run-stuffers and pass rushers when they need to be, but it’s the 6-foot-5, 239-pound Styles who is the key to everything.
Styles started college as a safety before switching positions and might be the most unique inside linebacker prospect in a decade. At the NFL scouting combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds and a mind-melting 43.5-inch vertical leap — the best anyone at his position has jumped in over 20 years.
Commanders Trade Pitch Dumps $31 Million NFL All-Pro