The Washington Commanders are heading into the 2026 NFL season with real hope of climbing back to a playoff-caliber level after injuries dragged them to a disappointing 5-12 finish last fall. A big part of that rebound is supposed to come from the wave of free-agent additions Adam Peters brought in.
Washington’s new arrivals are built to add speed and agility across the roster, and several of them come with real upside. K’Lavon Chaisson, Chig Okonkwo and Nick Cross all fit into that category as proven players who still have room to make a bigger impact. But one signing towers over the rest.
That’s Odafe Oweh, the $96 million man.
The former Baltimore Raven and Los Angeles Charger is Peters’ most expensive addition by a wide margin, and the Commanders are clearly betting big on what he can become. Oweh has been a useful player through his first five NFL seasons, but he has not quite reached star status yet. In 2025, he was traded from the Ravens to the Los Angeles Rams after five games and finished with 10.5 sacks, including the playoffs, while mostly working as a backup.
Now the Commanders are asking for more. Oweh enters his age-27 season as a 2021 first-round pick with the kind of talent that suggests another level is there, waiting to be unlocked.
Washington needs that jump, because this contract is not paying for merely solid production. At $24 million per year, the expectation is Pro Bowl-level impact.
He should immediately give the pass rush a jolt off the edge, but the Commanders need him to be much more than a complementary piece. Oweh is expected to be the face of a group that also includes Chaisson and Dorance Armstrong Jr., with Charles Omenihu and Joshua Josephs on the books as well.
Chaisson is back on another one-year “prove it” deal after finding success in similar spots with the Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots. Armstrong, meanwhile, was in the middle of the best season of his career before tearing his ACL in Week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys, so his role comes with some uncertainty.
That makes Oweh the key piece. Armstrong’s health is a question, Chaisson is not viewed as a long-term answer, and the Commanders are counting on Oweh to emerge as a leader in the room.
If he falls short, this could turn into a costly miss. If he delivers, Peters and his staff will look like they saw the whole thing coming.
In Other News...
Commanders May Finally Be Forced To Fix Their Biggest Offensive Problem
Washington has spent the offseason trying to sharpen an offense that still has a clear weak spot, and now the front office may be ready to address it the hard way. General manager Adam Peters has not shut the door on a trade, even after leaning on other roster-building moves, and the receiver market is starting to look like the most direct path to adding another weapon for the passing game.
The names circulating fit different versions of the same idea: a proven target who could help right away, or a younger player whose current situation makes him available if the price is right. Calvin Ridley is one possibility, while Rashod Bateman is another, and both bring enough intrigue to make Washingtons search worth watching as the team weighs whether to stay patient or finally push for a bigger swing. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Veteran Suddenly Faces A Brutal Camp Fight For His Future
Deatrich Wise Jr. is heading into training camp with a lot more to prove than he did a year ago. The Washington defensive lineman signed another one-year deal after last season ended early for him, and the roster around him has changed enough that his old path to playing time is no longer so clear. With new defensive investments and a scheme shift in the mix, Wise is now fighting to show he still belongs in the conversation.
What keeps him interesting is the same thing that has helped veteran depth players survive in the past: he can move around the front and give a staff options if he is productive enough. Wises experience and versatility still matter, especially for a team that will need reliable pieces behind the headline names, but camp is where he has to make that case. For a player coming off a lost year, every rep now carries extra weight. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Rookie Athan Kaliakmanis Is Making A Strong First Impression
Athan Kaliakmanis is already making an impression in Washington, and not just because of what he does on the field. The Commanders rookie quarterback took part in the inaugural NFC East Rookies Challenge at Great Wolf Lodge Maryland, a lighthearted event that also helped raise money for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington, giving the first-year passer a chance to show some personality while settling into his new surroundings.
Kaliakmanis came away with the challenge crown after winning both the Wave Pool and Lazy River events, a small but notable early marker for a player trying to carve out his place in the organization. He also talked about joining the Commanders, learning from teammates and approaching his first NFL opportunity the right way, and those early impressions suggest Washington likes what it has seen so far as he continues to find his footing. [Read more 🡒]