Losing defensive lineman Daron Payne to a season-ending fractured foot was a double blow. It removed Washington's longest-serving defensive player from the lineup and also nixed any hope general manager Adam Peters had of trading the Pro Bowler.
And based on a recent report, it may have even prevented Peters from doing something incredibly foolish.
According to Ian Rapoport of ESPN and the NFL Network, Peters was supposedly in discussions with the New York Giants regarding a possible trade for Payne. This would have been another in-division transaction for the Commanders, which isn't typical but has become almost synonymous with the front-office leader's tenure.
Commanders trading Daron Payne to the Giants would have sent the wrong message
Other teams were likely examining Payne's credentials, too. But if the Commanders had moved him to the Giants, it would have completely gone against everything head coach Dan Quinn has been preaching in recent weeks.
The Commanders have won only two games this season, but they are not giving up. Quinn believes the campaign can be salvaged, and the NFC East is still up for grabs as the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys also stumble.
Trading Payne to the Giants, who lead 4-2-1 atop the NFC East, while Quinn is emphatically saying the Commanders are still in the fight would have sent shockwaves through the franchise.
Quinn is trying to rally the troops. But Peters was thinking about waving the white flag, at least with Payne. That speaks to a lack of alignment, but the final decisions rest with the general manager.
Peters isn't trying to save Quinn's job. He's trying to build a sustainable future for the Commanders.
And where the offers come from doesn't matter. If they are good enough, Peters will accept them.
Adam Peters is not trying to save Dan Quinn's job, he's trying to make Commanders better
We'll never know now.
Payne recently had surgery on his Jones fracture, which rules him out for the entire year. His primary focus now is rehab, with the goal of being ready for the start of team activities in the 2027 offseason.
But what uniform he'll be wearing is anyone's guess.
The Commanders didn't trade or release Payne during the offseason. They didn't give him a new contract either, and both sides were willing to let things play out before making any further decisions.
Peters may have been willing to cut his losses and try to get something back in return for Payne, even if it was to the Giants. Now, that won't happen, and the former Alabama standout will never get a better chance to get a fresh start somewhere else.
And depending on what the Commanders do in free agency, they might not even get a compensatory pick for Payne if he departs.
With second-team All-Pro wide receiver Terry McLaurin also out for the year, the Commanders don't really have any tradable assets left. They could shed some expiring contracts, but beating the Eagles gives them a chance to build momentum.
Payne may have been moved regardless. His time with the franchise has likely run its course. But if Peters had shipped him to the Giants, that would have been a much more contentious issue in the current NFC East climate.
And one could have forgiven Quinn for feeling a type of way about it.
But alas, it wasn't to be.
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