Commander Country

Commanders DE Montez Sweat Salutes Daron Payne on New Contract

Daron Payne's top-notch season in 2022 is inspiring Washington Commanders defensive end Montez Sweat to do the same as he approaches the final year of his contract.

Jeremy Brener

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Washington Commanders defensive end Montez Sweat has been passed the baton as the latest defensive lineman to play on the final year of his contract.

Last year, it was Daron Payne holding the baton, and he did a lot with it. Payne had the best season of his career with 11.5 sacks and his first trip to the Pro Bowl.

While he was first placed on the franchise tag, the Commanders swiftly signed him to a four-year, $90 million extension, keeping him in Washington until the end of the 2026 season. Now, Sweat hopes he can have a similar impact and result this season.

“Oh yeah, for sure, he definitely laid the blueprint on how to get your bag,” Sweat said. “So, I mean, salute to him.”

The same could possibly be said for fellow defensive end Chase Young, who had his fifth-year option declined earlier this offseason. Young, the No. 2 pick in 2020, along with Sweat, face free agency at season's end.

It likely will be a season-long competition between the two former first-round picks as to who will receive the long-term extension at the end of the year. If either of them can reach Payne's 2022 bar, it will be very hard for Washington not to bring them back to the nation's capital.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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