Commander Country

BREAKING: Commanders Sign DT Daron Payne to Extension

Daron Payne is sticking with the Washington Commanders, signing one of the richest extensions for a defensive tackle in league history.

Jeremy Brener

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The Washington Commanders are checking off arguably the biggest item on their offseason to-do list.

According to ESPN, the Commanders are signing Payne to a four-year deal worth $90 million. Out of his earnings, $60 million is guaranteed.

The move comes shortly after the Commanders placed the franchise tag on Payne, preventing him from signing with another team and giving the front office more time to negotiate a contract. But it didn't take the front office long to bring Payne into the fold on a long-term deal.

The Commanders drafted Phidarian Mathis in the second round of last year's draft to possibly replace Payne when his contract was up. But Mathis was knocked out for the rest of the season after his second defensive snap, resulting in more playing time and production from Payne.

As a result, Payne had the best season of his career with 11.5 sacks and his first trip to the Pro Bowl.

The Commanders last used the franchise tag on offensive lineman Brandon Scherff for 2020 and 2021, but failed to reach a long-term deal to keep him in Washington. Last offseason, Scherff signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

This time around, Commanders general manager Martin Mayhew didn't make the same mistake and made a strong investment towards their future.

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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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