The Washington Commanders' season has been eventful. Things looked incredibly bleak after starting 0-2 and losing quarterback Jayden Daniels to a dislocated elbow, but a stunning upset over the Seattle Seahawks provided some light amid the doom and gloom.
The Commanders have a talented team. They're improving defensively, and the offense functioned effectively without Daniels under center in Week 3. They still have a long way to go and a lot of hard work ahead, but head coach Dan Quinn's squad has hope.
Big challenges remain, and things are still hanging precariously. At the same time, momentum is everything, and if the Commanders are still treading water at their bye week, they could force their way into the NFC East title picture over the second half of 2026.
And these Commanders players have wasted no time in giving the coaching staff and front office the right kind of problem over the first three games.
Washington Commanders players who are already giving coaches the right kind of problem
K'Lavon Chaisson - Commanders OLB
- Problem: Pay or not pay?
K'Lavon Chaisson was willing to bet on himself this offseason. The New Orleans Saints offered him more years, but the edge rusher believed signing a one-year deal with the Washington Commanders could help him earn a much bigger payday in 2027.
He's off to a good start.
Chaisson has one sack, two run stops, and eight pressures over the first three games. The LSU product is doing a lot of good work that doesn't show up on the stat sheet, and his partnership with big-money signing Odafe Oweh has been profitable so far.
Finishing plays with more conviction is his next challenge, but the Commanders must like what they see from Chaisson. Whether it's enough to warrant a much larger financial commitment is the question nobody knows the answer to right now.
Javon Kinlaw - Commanders DL
- Problem: Flash in the pan, or the start of something special?
After taking significant (and warranted) criticism for a disappointing first season in Washington, defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw has looked like a completely different player in 2026. He is excelling in Daronte Jones' new 3-4 base front, pushing the pile against the run and getting into the backfield far more often.
General manager Adam Peters might have overpaid for Kinlaw last year, but the front-office leader's faith in the South Carolina product never wavered. It's early days, but Kinlaw is starting to repay this faith.
Fans are taking notice. But whether this performance surge is a flash in the pan or the start of something special is debatable until further notice.
Kinlaw is off to the best possible start. He's Washington's best-performing interior defensive lineman through three weeks. If he can keep up this consistency throughout the entire campaign, the 2020 first-round pick will get to see out the final year of his deal.
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