The Washington Commanders have had a rough 2026 season so far, as they’re sitting at the bottom of the NFC East with a 1-4-1 record coming out of their Week 7 bye. While they have the advantage over the Philadelphia Eagles, the season is on thin ice.
Terry McLaurin is out for the year, and unfortunately, the Commanders got even more bad news after a practice injury to defensive tackle Daron Payne. The star DT suffered a significant injury, and the latest update is as bad as it can get.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Commanders’ DT has a season-ending injury. Payne’s injury is horrible, and it’s not just about the Commanders losing a key defensive player for the year. It’s also a huge blow to their trade deadline plans.
Commanders get two kinds of terrible news with Daron Payne update
“Source: Commanders DL Daron Payne did in fact suffer a season-ending Jones fracture during Friday’s practice,” Schefter reports.
This is a brutal blow for the Commanders’ defensive lineman, and he’s now going to miss a lot of time while recovering from this significant foot injury.
For Jones, it comes at a bad time, as he’s set to hit free agency after 2026, which means his free agency this upcoming offseason will have the season-ending injury looming over him throughout.
But besides the fact that the Commanders now won’t be able to rely on Payne along their questionable defensive front, the Commanders now have lost one of the most appealing trade candidates left in the NFL.
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Payne was going to be a highly coveted piece at this year’s trade deadline, with teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars likely to have serious interest in the interior defensive lineman.
After DeForest Buckner landed the Indianapolis Colts a fourth-round pick in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers, the Commanders likely could’ve gotten something similar in value had Payne stayed healthy.
Now, not only will the Commanders not have Payne for the remainder of the season, but they also won’t get the draft pick compensation from a trade that would’ve likely happened.
To make matters worse, the compensatory pick if he leaves in free agency likely won’t be strong either, as Payne might be in for a cheaper contract coming off a serious injury.
This Payne injury is horrible for the player in a lot of ways, but it’s also terrible for the team as well. Washington now not only has lost one of their best players, but one of their best trade assets with this brutal season-ending injury to Payne.
