Commanders Re-Sign Defensive Lineman Daron Payne

The Washington Commanders will hold onto their premier defensive tackle. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the team has successfully signed Daron Payne to a four-year, $90 million deal.

Sources: The #Commanders are locking in star DT Daron Payne on a 4-year deal for $90M.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 12, 2023

The Commanders placed the franchise tag on Payne earlier this month, so he wasn't going anywhere. But the new deal assures he'll play out his prime with the team that drafted him 13th overall in 2018.

Payne was dominant in 2022, tallying 11.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss, both of which were career highs. He broke out this past year, but he's been durable and effective his whole career: he has appeared in 81 of a possible 82 games since 2018, totalling 26.0 sacks and 291 tackles.

With Payne's signing, the Commanders will return one of the league's most star-studded defensive lines in 2023. Teammate Jonathan Allen is one of the league's highest-paid interior defensive linemen with a four-year, $72 million deal, and defensive end Chase Young was the defensive rookie of the year in 2020.