The Washington Commanders have invested big in their interior defensive line in recent years, and no investment in that position has been bigger than the $90 million contract they gave to defensive tackle Daron Payne in March 2023.
Payne’s 2023 statistics fell short of expectations, which is something you might say about the Commanders as a whole following a 4-13 campaign. However, PFF’s Bradley Locker included Payne on his list of NFL players who might have a breakthrough year in 2024.
Locker stated, “Payne has proven to be one of the NFL’s more reliable interior defenders, but his most recent campaign wasn’t the best.” “He had 32 more chances to rush the passer, but only 14 fewer pressures overall.”
After making his first Pro Bowl in 2022, Payne’s numbers clearly declined in 2023; he also had 7.5 less sacks and 9 fewer quarterback hits.
Payne Has Dominated on Every Level
Locker’s theory that Payne will bounce back to have a big season in 2024 seems like a safe bet — he’s dominated on every level.
Payne was a five-star recruit out of Shades Valley High School in Birmingham, Alabama, then won two College Football Playoff national championships in three seasons at Alabama. In the CFP in 2017, Payne was the defensive MVP in both the semifinal win over Clemson and the national championship game against Georgia — in the Clemson game he even caught a touchdown pass.
The Commanders selected Payne, 6-foot-2 and 311 pounds, in the first round (No. 13 overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft, making back-to-back years taking an Alabama defensive tackle in the first round after selecting Jonathan Allen in 2017.
Payne has been extraordinarily resilient; in his six seasons, he has only missed one game due to injury. He has also started every game in five of those seasons, including the final four seasons leading up to 2024.
In response, Payne gave the team his first Pro Bowl season in 2022 with career highs of 63 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 20 QB hits, 18 TFL, and 5 pass deflections after Washington activated its fifth-year option on him.
In exchange, the Commanders have made him extremely wealthy; by the time his current deal expires in 2026, he will only be 29 years old and have made $112.9 million in his career.
Glimmer of Hope for Commanders in 2024
The Commanders have something headed into the 2024 season that the franchise hasn’t had in awhile — hope. That’s thanks in large part to drafting a quarterback at No. 2 overall in Jayden Daniels and having a new head coach in Dan Quinn who has been a winner at every stop in his career.
So maybe the bar for whether or not Payne bounces back in 2024 should be set at wins and losses and not necessarily statistics.
“With Washington drafting Illinois’ Jer’Zhan Newton in the second round, new head coach Dan Quinn could turn to more of a rotation throughout the defensive line of the Commanders, potentially further lowering Payne’s pressure numbers, according to Locker. However, Payne is unlikely to leave as he begins the second year of a $90 million deal. In 2024, Payne, who also improves his tackling, might be even more driven and a formidable pass rusher.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, concentrating on the Cincinnati Bengals, Washington Commanders, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His work has appeared in Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News, and Pensacola News Journal. He has been a seasoned sports writer and editor since 2004.Additional details regarding Tony Adame
