The Washington Commanders enter the 2026 season with everything to prove, and that goes for everybody. For those who were around during last year's 5-12 debacle, it applies doubly.
It's a make-or-break season for star quarterback Jayden Daniels, who'll need to prove he can stay healthy and sustain his sensational rookie form. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin needs to show he's still good enough to merit the hefty contract extension he was paid last summer that kicks in this year. And Washington's struggling young draft picks, such as Luke McCaffrey and Johnny Newton, need to put up or shut up.
Then, there's Javon Kinlaw.
Commanders need Javon Kinlaw to justify his lofty price tag next season
Last offseason, Kinlaw was the Commanders' highest-priced free agency signing and recorded a grand total of zero sacks. What will he have in store for Washington in 2026?
It's that part of the offseason when the hype train begins rolling for every player in a situation even remotely different from the year before. Anyone returning from injury is back in perfect shape. Any new signing will have the best opportunity of their career. For Kinlaw, it's all about how he fits in the new scheme under defensive coordinator Daronte Jones.
Kinlaw certainly has the talent and measurables to perform at a high level, but he has been plagued by inconsistency throughout his career. That showed last year, when Washington fans noticed him on the field only when he got involved in fights with opposing players.
The former South Carolina standout ranked 112th out of 134 defensive linemen last year, according to Pro Football Focus. Kinlaw only recorded five tackles for loss and three quarterback hits in addition to the goose egg in the sack column. He made some impressive plays here and there, but that's not enough for a guy making $15 million per year.
Given his price tag, Washington had almost no choice but to bring Kinlaw back in 2026.
He and Daron Payne are both set to return as starters on the defensive interior, joined by free-agent signing Tim Settle Jr. It's not an inspiring group on paper, but for the 2020 first-round pick, there's hardly anywhere to go but up.
Kinlaw is built like a cyborg. If Jones can get the Commanders' defense to fly around the field with their hair on fire, he should be one of the biggest beneficiaries.
That may be a big "if" when it comes to the onetime San Francisco 49er and New York Jet, but let's not write him off just yet.
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