The Washington Commanders' 2025 season is finally over. It went about as badly as anyone could have predicted and then some.
However, pretty much everybody saw one of their biggest individual disappointments coming.
The Commanders won five games and will pick No. 7 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Yet that hasn't stopped defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw from acting as if Washington has a Super Bowl to win. It's been a theme all season for the player that general manager Adam Peters signed last spring as his top free agency prize.
Kinlaw signed a three-year, $45 million deal with $30 million guaranteed. He didn't record a single sack this season.
Javon Kinlaw never stopped running his mouth with no substance attached
Kinlaw had exactly two moments of relevance during the campaign. He was involved in a fight against the Detroit Lions. The lineman was involved in another scuffle against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16. Aside from that, you probably barely even noticed him on the field.
On both occasions, he also took the opportunity to run his mouth with some tough-guy posturing that came off as laughable given his and the team's on-field performance. After the Commanders' meaningless Week 18 win, he's once again making proclamations that he and everyone else know are easier said than done.
I spoke with Javon Kinlaw about bouncing back next season.
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) January 5, 2026
JK said, "oh s*** man, we got a lot of guys around here with a sour taste in their mouth, you know what I'm saying? When your back is against the wall you got to come off that mother f*****. That's one thing I know." pic.twitter.com/YGPuNhsrZR
His words send one message, while his disinterested body language sends another.
Kinlaw did say a few of the right things during the interview, noting that he needs to look internally to address what went wrong for him this season. Still, actions speak louder than words, and his actions have given off zero indication that Commanders fans should trust him to be better.
Due to the hefty price tag attached to him, Washington is probably stuck with Kinlaw in 2026, whether for better or worse. He'll enter the season with more to prove than arguably anyone else on the roster, and if he underperforms again, it will be his last year with the club.
As far as this past season was concerned, Kinlaw had four months to perform with his back against the wall. Everyone clowned his contract the moment it was signed, and he did nothing but validate all of the pessimism.
Evidently, he doesn't know as much about "coming off of it" as he thinks he does.
Kinlaw can keep talking all he wants. But until he starts showing, he can't expect to be taken seriously.