4 Commanders players primed to have career seasons in 2022

2. Daron Payne

Payne’s in a precarious position with his contract. After reports before the draft indicated Washington wanted to extend the star defensive tackle, the organization — for one reason or another — changed its stance, so much so that it was reportedly fielding trade offers for Payne leading up to draft night.

It’s unclear if Payne is the Commanders’ future plans, but the Alabama product has everything to play for in 2022 regardless. As of this writing, he’s slated to play out the fifth and final year of his contract and enter free agency next offseason.

Payne’s fifth-year option will pay him $8.529 million this season. While a significant improvement compared to his $2.466 million salary last year, it doesn’t come close to reflecting his impact on and importance to Washington’s defense.

In 2020, Payne logged the most run stops among interior defenders with 33 and he finished third at the position with a 64.6 pass-rush grade. In 2021, Payne led all interior defenders with 37 defensive stops and finished in the top 12 at the position with 47 pressures and a 74.1 pass-rush grade, according to PFF.

Whether it’s in Washington or somewhere else, Payne is entering a contract year. Regardless of the sport, we always see players perform out of their skin when there’s money on the line. If you thought Payne was a wrecking ball over his first four years, the 25-year-old could take his game to another level in 2022.