Part of the offseason overhaul for the Washington Commanders is going to hopefully mean jettisoning some overpaid, underperforming familiar faces.
On defense, that could mean saying goodbye to longtime defensive tackle Daron Payne, who Pro Football Focus put on its list of the Top 15 NFL Trade Candidates in 2026.
Payne made a Pro Bowl in 2022 with 11.5 sacks and signed a 4-year, $90 million contract extension before the 2023 season but only has 11.0 sacks, total, since he signed his mega-deal.
“The Commanders are a team under heightened pressure in 2026 following a 5-12 campaign this past season,” PFF’s Bradley Locker wrote. “Washington must improve its defense after ranking 31st in EPA per play allowed, which might include trading Payne up front. The longtime Washington standout has declined of late, playing three straight seasons with an overall PFF grade below 61.5 … Payne is not performing to the level of his lucrative contract. Now 28 and a free agent after next season, the Commanders may shed some payroll and pursue younger upgrades.”
Ugly Incident for Payne During 2025 Season
Payne’s 2025 season was most notable for an ugly incident against the Detroit Lions when he was suspended 1 game for punching Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in Week 10, forcing him to miss Washington’s Week 11 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Madrid, Spain.
Payne, a 2018 first round pick (No. 13 overall), punched St. Brown with under 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter after St. Brown scored a touchdown to put the Lions up 14-3.
It wasn’t the first time Payne threw hands during a game. In 2021, Payne was on the receiving end of a punch on the Commanders sideline in December 2021, when he poked defensive tackle and fellow Alabama product Jonathan Allen in the face, then Allen stood up and punched Payne in the face.
That fight occurred during a 56-14, blowout loss to the rival Dallas Cowboys late in a season in which the Commanders finished 3-14.
“I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist,” Allen told ESPN’s John Keim when asked about the incident. “If you look at how that game went, emotions are high, things are high, things happen.”
“Just a little brotherly disagreement; maybe the wrong place, wrong time, but it happened,” Payne told Keim.
Another Option: Commanders Just Cut Payne
The Athletic’s Ben Standig predicts if the Commanders can’t find a trade partner for Payne — a fourth-round pick in exchange for him might be a win — then they could just cut him in a salary cap move.
“Even if there’s a role/usage excuse following last year’s coaching staff change, the hulking 320-pounder rarely made a distinct presence in games compared to those 2022 highs,” Standig wrote. “Doing so this season would not only help lift a potentially meh line, but also put Payne in a position for another significant contract from Washington or another team entering his age-29 season. Otherwise, he’s an obvious salary-cap cut next offseason and a reason why Washington’s defensive ceiling wouldn’t rise in 2025.”
The Commanders would still have a decent-but-not-spectactular interior defensive line in place with veteran Javon Kinlaw, who signed a 3-year, $45 million free agent contract in March 2025 and 2024 second-round pick Jer’Zhan Newton.
Commanders Predicted to Trade $90 Million Pro Bowler