Commanders' 2026 Offseason: Rebuilding the Trenches After a Disappointing Finish

The 2025 season ended with a familiar sting for Washington fans: a 7-10 record, good for third in the NFC East and well out of the playoff picture. Sam Howell, despite throwing for 3,800 yards, also led the league with 22 interceptions. The defense, particularly the front seven, struggled to generate consistent pressure after Montez Sweat and Chase Young left in previous years. Now, GM Adam Peters has his work cut out for him in the 2026 offseason, with a reported $75 million in cap space to play with.

Re-signing Key Pieces

Peters' first order of business was locking down some of the team's own talent. The biggest splash came with defensive tackle Daron Payne, who inked a four-year, $80 million extension on March 5th. Payne, coming off a nine-sack season, was a no-brainer. He's the anchor of that interior line. They also retained veteran safety Jeremy Reaves on a two-year, $7 million deal; Reaves remains a special teams ace and a locker room leader. Terry McLaurin, who finished 2025 with 1,150 receiving yards, is entering the final year of his deal, but extension talks are reportedly on hold until after the draft. That's a curious move, leaving their top offensive weapon in limbo.

Bolstering the Offensive Line

The offensive line was a sieve last year, allowing Howell to be sacked 58 times. Peters addressed this aggressively in early free agency. On March 11th, the Commanders signed former Cowboys guard Tyler Smith to a five-year, $65 million contract. Smith, a Pro Bowler in 2024, immediately upgrades the interior. They followed that up by bringing in veteran tackle Jonah Williams from the Cardinals on a three-year, $30 million deal. Williams struggled with penalties last season (9 flags), but he brings experience to the right side. Center Nick Gates, who had a PFF grade of just 55.0 in 2025, is now on notice. Look, you can't expect Howell to progress if he's running for his life on every other snap. These moves show Peters understands that.

A New Look for the Defensive Front

The defensive line needed help. Plain and simple. After the Payne extension, Peters turned his attention to the edge. On March 18th, Washington signed former Bears defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to a two-year, $24 million contract. Ngakoue, who had 8.5 sacks in 2025, brings a proven pass-rushing presence, something the team desperately lacked after finishing 28th in the league with just 31 sacks. They also added veteran defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins on a one-year, $6 million deal to provide depth behind Payne and Jonathan Allen. This seems like a smart, low-risk move. My hot take? Ngakoue, even at 31, will lead the Commanders in sacks in 2026, hitting double digits for the first time since 2021. The pressure is on the secondary to capitalize on the increased heat up front.

Bold Prediction: The Commanders will finish with at least 10 wins in 2026, making a Wild Card push, largely due to a vastly improved offensive and defensive line.