Terry McLaurin isn’t the only Washington Commanders player seeking a new contract. Defensive tackle Daron Payne is also entering his final year in his rookie contract, and would like an extension.
On Tuesday during the start of the latest Phase of OTAs, Payne may have took a stand with the lack of a contract extension.
According to The Athletic’s Ben Standig, Payne walked off the practice field and declined to participate in team drills out of frustration of his contract situation.
According to JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington, while upset, Payne still participated in team weight lifting and attended meetings following practice.
Commanders not expected to offer Daron Payne a contract extension
Last month, it was reported that the Commanders are not expected to offer Daron Payne an extension. A first-round pick in 2018, Payne is set to play the 2022 season on his fifth-year option at $8,529,000.
Washington’s stance against a new deal for Payne makes a lot of sense from a team standpoint. The Commanders extended fellow defensive tackle and captain Jonathan Allen last July on a five-year deal worth $72 million.
It’s hard to fathom a team willing to pay two defensive tackles around $18-20 million per year. Additionally, the Commanders have two of their premiere edge rushers possibly needing new deals in the near future.
Montez Sweat is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2023 season. Chase Young will be at the end of 2024.
Not to mention in the short-term, McLaurin’s contract is Washington’s top priority. McLaurin is a wide receiver and set to capitalize on the recent exploding wide receiver market. He’s skipping this phase of OTAs to leverage his contract talks.
Will Payne now take the same stance? The Commanders appeared dugged in. Could this force Washington’s hand to trade the disgruntled defensive tackle?
The Commanders drafted Phidarian Mathis in the second round of last month’s NFL Draft. However, he’s expected to be the third DT replacing the departed Matt Ioannidis. Now McLaurin won’t be the only talk, as focus will shift to see what will become of Payne on Wednesday.
