It goes without saying that the Washington Commanders' roster is going to look an awful lot different in 2026. After an all-in Super Bowl hopeful campaign blew up into a 5-12 record, general manager Adam Peters has recalibrated and made his squad significantly younger.
Marshon Lattimore is gone. Bobby Wagner, Zach Ertz, Von Miller, and Austin Ekeker have not been brought back. In the meantime, Peters signed a laundry list of new additions, all under 30, many of whom are on multi-year deals.
Locking in younger veterans fresh off their rookie contracts as long-term pieces was the strategy the team needed, and Peters delivered. Only one projected starter from Washington's free agency class wasn't signed beyond 2026, and he might just be the most valuable short-term player the Commanders added.
Commanders' new relationship with K'Lavon Chaisson could be mutually beneficial
Last season with the New England Patriots, edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson was on a classic prove-it deal, and he sure did. He recorded 7.5 sacks, nearly doubling his previous career total of 10, and also registered career-highs in quarterback hits and tackles for loss.
What did it get him? Another prove-it deal from Washington.
Chaisson has now put up solid production for two different teams, the latter of whom he helped reach a Super Bowl. He has turned his career around after spending four underwhelming seasons as a first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, then being cut in the preseason by the Carolina Panthers in 2024. But for whatever reason, teams still aren't willing to commit to him.
In Washington, Chaisson will likely play a flex role in Daronte Jones' defense, alternating between edge rusher and linebacker. He might not start every game, but he will heavily factor into the game plan and has the chance to be one of the most valuable contributors on the Commanders' defense.
Think 2024 Dante Fowler Jr., who had one of the best seasons of his career while largely serving as a rotational piece.
Chaisson has the potential to be a hyper-charged version of that, and the fact that he'll be on another one-year deal should make him all the more motivated. Washington desperately missed Fowler's presence a season ago, and the LSU product can provide the spark that Jones' unit desperately needs.
Washington's $100 million man, Odafe Oweh, and No. 7 overall pick Sonny Styles have garnered all of the attention among the additions to the Commanders' defense. But let's not sleep on Chaisson.
He'll be out to make a statement for his new club.
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