Daron Payne discusses his Commanders future, new pass rushers at OTAs

Washington went all-in on their defensive line in late 2010s, taking one in the first round of four consecutive NFL drafts.

class="has-text-align-none">Jonathan Allen came in 2017. Daron Payne was taken in 2018, with Montez Sweat in 2019 and Chase Young in 2020.

class="has-text-align-none">Payne’s the only one left.

class="has-text-align-none">Young was traded to San Francisco. Sweat was dealt to Chicago before getting paid. Allen spent eight seasons in Washington and got one big-time contract extension but ended up getting released after a trade request didn’t pan out. He was in Minnesota for the 2025 campaign and will play for Cincinnati in 2026.

class="has-text-align-none">Payne signed a four-year, $90-million contract back in 2023, and it’s set to expire at season’s end.

class="has-text-align-none">Are the Commanders going to keep Payne in Washington beyond this season? That question was posed to Payne by on-site reporter after Tuesday’s OTA season.

class="has-text-align-none">Has the team engaged in contract talks about a possible extension?

class="has-text-align-none">“Not that I know of,” Payne said.

class="has-text-align-none">He was also asked if he’d like to get an extension before training camp ends, and the veteran sidestepped it.

class="has-text-align-none">“I’m just playing football,” Payne said. “I’m hopeful for my next day to wake and do what I love.”

Payne has been good at his job for some time now. He was at his best from 2021-23, when he had 22 sacks, 36 tackles for a loss and two Pro Bowl selections. Will Washington re-up with Payne? Time will tell on that front.

class="has-text-align-none">He’ll have a chance to put his best foot forward in Daronte Jones attacking defensive scheme, while playing with the most talented collection defensive linemen he has worked with in some time.

class="has-text-align-none">The Commanders overhauled their defensive front this offseason, bringing in Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, Tim Settle – that’s a sneaky, underrated signing – and Charles Omenihu.

class="has-text-align-none">“With the little time I’ve spent with them, you can tell they brought in a bunch of competitors that I work with on the D-line,” Payne said. “The outside linebackers like to compete and get after it, so it’s gonna be fun.”

class="has-text-align-none">Payne has looked good in the early going of OTAs, which you can catch a glimpse of here:

Daron Payne working some footwork drills pic.twitter.com/ZmDGTJqICs

— Mitchell Tischler (@Mitch_Tischler) June 2, 2026Economics, market value and obviously performance will play a role in Payne’s future with Washington. He’s currently focused on helping the 2026 Commanders compete.

class="has-text-align-none">“My job is to be one of the 11 and do what I’m supposed to do,” Payne said, “execute the scheme and work as hard as I can. “