The Washington Commanders have one more game left before the season reaches a merciful conclusion. And fans are expecting some drastic changes across the board before preparations for the 2026 campaign gather pace.
General manager Adam Peters isn't under any immediate pressure. Nor is head coach Dan Quinn, but there is a significant amount of hard work ahead before the Commanders can consider themselves among the playoff hopefuls again. This all starts with the team's pending free agents, which is a league high by a considerable margin.
The Commanders have 30 free agents. They range from future Pro Football Hall of Famers, productive Pro Bowlers, veteran journeymen, and fledgling hopefuls looking for another chance. Not everyone is going to get a reprieve after such a woeful season, but Peters isn't going to let everyone leave either.
There are complex riddles aplenty, but the time for half-measures is over. The Commanders must do what's necessary to turn the tide. Sacrifices must be made, and challenging decisions are plentiful. Nobody is pressing the panic button just yet. At the same time, seats will warm quickly if the same concerning trend continues in 2026.
Here is a full rundown of the Commanders' upcoming free agents.
Every Commanders player entering their final game under contract in Week 18
Unrestricted free agents
The Commanders have numerous unrestricted free agents. Not entirely surprising when one considers how Peters went about his roster construction this offseason. He gambled heavily on aging veterans on short-term deals while also keeping faith with those who achieved so much during the previous campaign. It didn't pay off, and a change in strategy is desperately needed this time around.
Player & Position | 2025 salary-cap hit |
|---|---|
Deebo Samuel Sr. (WR) | $17.54 million |
Bobby Wagner (LB) | $9 million |
Marcus Mariota (QB) | $8 million |
Zach Ertz (TE) | $6.25 million |
Von Miller (OLB) | $6.1 million |
Jonathan Jones (CB) | $5.5 million |
Austin Ekeler (RB) | $4.21 million |
Andrew Wylie (OL) | $4 million |
Deatrich Wise Jr. DE) | $3.25 million |
Noah Brown (WR) | $3.25 million |
Tress Way (P) | $2.87 million |
Jacob Martin (DE) | $2.58 million |
Noah Igbinoghene (CB) | $1.5 million |
Josh Johnson (QB) | $1.42 million |
Trenton Scott (OL) | $1.42 million |
Jeremy McNichols (RB) | $1.33 million |
Shy Tuttle (DL) | $1.28 million |
Sheldon Day (DL) | $1,25 million |
Jeff Driskel (QB) | $1.25 million |
George Fant (OT) | $1.25 million |
Eddie Goldman (DL) | $1.25 million |
Antonio Hamilton Sr. (CB) | $1.25 million |
Jalyn Holmes (DL) | $1.17 million |
Treylon Burks (WR) | $1.1 million |
Drake Jackson (DE) | $1.1 million |
Lucas Niang (OT) | $1.1 million |
Tyree Jackson (TE) | $1.1 million |
Jake Moody (PK) | $1.03 million |
Chris Paul (OL) | $941,111 |
Exclusive rights free agents
The Commanders have one exclusive rights free agent. This is for players with one or two years of league experience. If Washington wants to keep them around, extending an offer to them means they can't negotiate with other teams. Whether Peters will do that remains to be seen, but the fact that he only has one is a testament to how old this roster actually is right now.
Player & Position | 2025 salary-cap hit |
|---|---|
Julian Good-Jones (OL) | $960,000 |
Restricted free agents
A restricted free agent is a player with three years of league experience. The Commanders have one in running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., who has arguably done enough for another commitment from the franchise.
Rodriguez has overcome significant adversity to carve out a role for himself. He was starting to show progress when he got hurt, so the Commanders should reward him with another tender to see if he can make further improvement in 2026.
Player & Position | 20025 salary-cap hit |
|---|---|
Chris Rordiguez Jr. (RB) | $1.03 million |