The Washington Commanders opted to build their defense from the inside out this offseason. General manager Adam Peters primarily focused on the defensive front seven over the first wave of free agency, which is precisely what fans were looking for after another disastrous campaign from the unit in 2025.
Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson bring explosiveness and dynamism to the edge. That didn't stop Peters from adding another, with Charles Omenihu joining from the Kansas City Chiefs on a one-year, $4 million deal that could be worth up to $7 million with incentives.
This is another veteran who brings intrigue. Omenihu has versatility and can make things happen when he's firing on all cylinders. However, one Chiefs expert wondered whether the injuries the Texas product suffered may be affecting his production.
Chiefs expert offers cautionary tale around Commanders' Charles Omenhiu deal
Matt Conner of Arrowhead Addict acknowledged that a season under his belt after tearing his ACL could see him return to the form of old. He also outlined a cautionary tale that Commanders fans should know about their newest acquisition.
"[Charles] Omenihu is an interesting buy on the open market. He signed with K.C. in '23 as a catalytic rotational addition to the edge and it paid off to begin with: a career-high 7 sacks for a team on another deep postseason run. Then he tore his ACL in the AFC Championship and missed all but 6 games the following year.
"The Chiefs brought him back on a one-year deal hoping for a rebound season, but an ankle injury nagged him, but it's easy to tell something was missing either way. Maybe some distance from the ACL tear will yield better numbers. Maybe age mixed with wear and tear will limit him. But taking the risk with an incentive-laden deal is not a bad move, all things considered."
Obviously, the Commanders will have done their due diligence on Omenihu's injury complications. They must have been satisfied with his prognosis, and hopefully, he'll get a full offseason to fully adjust and prepare for the new campaign in a different environment.
Peters also knows the player well from their time together on the San Francisco 49ers. The front-office leader knows what the player can bring to the table when healthy. Omenihu may not start, but he's a valuable chess piece capable of lining up almost anywhere in the trenches, depending on the situation.
Competition and depth were key this offseason. The Commanders needed established starters and capable rotational pieces on a defense that ranked last in the NFL in 2025. Omenihu has experience in both roles, so it was a risk worth taking at this sort of price.
But if Omenihu gets hurt again or if some of his dynamic traits have deserted him, fans can't say they weren't warned.