Commanders DT Daron Payne: Contract Extension Coming?

Daron Payne is on the final year of his rookie contract.

Apart from Jonathan Allen and Chase Young, Daron Payne is arguably the most important player for the Washington Commanders defense.

Payne is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is set to become a free agent after the season if the Commanders don't use the franchise tag on him or he gets a new contract.

Payne has been a solid member of the defensive line since being drafted in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

He’s also been fairly consistent playing in 16 or more games in three of his four years in the NFL.

What he hasn’t done is improve on his career high sack numbers from his rookie year, despite the additions of Montez Sweat and Young to increase the threat on the ends of the line.

The closest Payne got to his first-year production was last season when he came just half a sack away from matching the five he had in 2018.

Now, Payne wants a new contract, but there's a few obstacles that prevent that from happening.

Payne was the second member of a four-year run of first-round defensive linemen (Allen, Payne, Sweat, Young). The Commanders already paid Allen long-term, and there's a good chance that the team is more likely to pay Sweat and Young next.

The team also drafted fellow defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis in the second round of the draft this past year, likely as insurance to replace Payne if he walked in free agency.

With all of these players competing for a new contract and playing time, Payne has a lot of pressure to succeed.

If Payne wants a new deal to stay in Washington, he’ll have to step up his production and prove he’s a guy worth spending precious cap space on moving forward.