When Adam Peters selected Johnny Newton in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, some analysts wondered whether the move signaled the end of Jonathan Allen’s time with the Washington Commanders. That could be arriving sooner rather than later.
Allen was among the team's longest-serving members, having been chosen out of Alabama in the first round of the 2017 draft. He was a locker-room leader and the steadiest player Washington had on the defensive side of the ball.
Things began to sour for Allen toward the end of the Ron Rivera era. The defense was a shambles. There had been multiple coaching changes. There had been public finger-pointing. It appeared as if an entire career spent with a dysfunctional franchise had finally worn down his patience.
New ownership and the arrival of head coach Dan Quinn seemed to rejuvenate the Commanders' star defensive tackle, but an injury knocked Allen out for more than half of the magical 2024 season. He was able to come back in time for the playoffs and after some shaky performances, was arguably Washington’s best defensive player in the NFC Championship loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
It looks as though that may have been Allen’s final game in a Commanders’ uniform.
Jonathan Allen trade update signifies changing Commanders approach under Adam Peters
Peters has granted permission for Allen to explore trade options with other teams. Short of a move itself, that is as strong an indicator as you can have that his time in D.C. is at an end.
The general manager made it clear from his earliest moves that he would not be influenced by a player’s history.
When Peters and Quinn arrived, they had a roster filled with players neither man had brought to town. The Commanders quickly released veterans like Logan Thomas and Charles Leno Jr. despite reasonably good production and no obvious backups in hand.
They were older. They were more expensive. They did not fit with the new philosophy of building primarily through the draft while supplementing the roster with a mix of mid-tier free agents.
He then began dismantling the perceived future of that roster, jettisoning virtually all remaining high-level draft picks from Rivera's tenure. Jahan Dotson, Jamin Davis, and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. — the last three first-round picks under Rivera — were gone in short order. They simply had not produced.
Peters held onto Brian Robinson Jr. and Quan Martin because they had played well. But the message was clear. The new regime was not interested in waiting on the potential of players as judged by others.
The imminent departure of Allen represents a new chapter in the way Peters is building.
Allen was not a Rivera guy. For much of his career, he was highly productive. He was one of Washington's few repeat Pro Bowlers of the past decade. But his play had fallen off over the last two seasons.
His tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks all took a dip in 2023 after outstanding campaigns in 2021 and 2022, His Pro Football Focus grade plummeted. That fall continued in his injury-plagued 2024.
Washington survived most of the year with Newton, Daron Payne, and several journeymen manning the defensive line interior. The defense was not great and they need upgrades. Expected improvement from Newton along with a bounce-back year from Payne will be crucial for success in 2025. And it had already seemed likely that Peters would explore the free agent market.
A lot of promising young interior linemen could be on the move this offseason, including Osa Odighizuwa, Milton Williams, and Levi Onwuzurike. All are ascending players. The latest news suggests that in the mind of Peters, Allen is not.
This is the same philosophy that Peters’ former team, the San Francisco 49ers, is employing with Deebo Samuel Sr. The Los Angeles Rams are doing it with Cooper Kupp. Those are well-run franchises that have been successful for many years. When a player’s production begins to wane, there is no room for sentiment.
The specifics of Allen’s contract make this move almost inevitable. He will be a 31-year-old free agent after the 2025 season. It seems highly unlikely he would have a future in Washington were he to finish out his contract with the Commanders.
He has the third-highest cap hit on the team, after Payne and Terry McLaurin. His salary and prorated bonus tops $20 million. But his dead cap hit — the money that would count against the Commanders’ salary cap were he to be traded or released — is a relatively modest $6 million. That means there is not a huge financial incentive to keep him.
If Peters can get a low-end draft pick in return while eliminating a major salary for a player who is no longer elite, that seems like a no-brainer. The fact that Allen has been one of the most respected players in the club during some very dark times makes it a little more painful.
That’s life in the NFL. Allen and Peters know that. Both will plan their futures based on that reality.