ASHBURN — Daron Payne’s agent went through a few scenarios for his client as the defensive tackle sought a new contract from the Washington Commanders. Payne could look to take a deal early if there was one on the table to his satisfaction. Or the 26-year-old could attempt to wait in hopes that the offer would increase while the defensive tackle market around him exploded.
Payne, recalling the interaction Friday, took the money.
“I just (wanted) to get the deal done so I can focus on what I like to do,” said Payne, who signed a four-year, $90 million contract in March.
Payne’s contract, it turns out, served as a template for a rush of defensive tackle contracts to come. Over the ensuing weeks and months, San Francisco’s Javon Hargrave (four years, $84 million), the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence (four years, $90 million), Tennessee’s Jeffery Simmons (four years, $94 million) and the Jets’ Quinnen Williams (four years, $96 million) all signed contracts that were in the range — or above — Payne’s deal with Washington.
But Payne appeared to have no regrets at signing early — even if his status as the league’s second-highest-paid interior defensive lineman changed quickly. Ninety million is still $90 million, though it should be noted that only $46 million was guaranteed. And, he said, Payne could get back to what he likes to do: Football.
“It ain’t about validating nothing,” Payne said when asked if he feels like he has to live up to his new contract. “I like playing football. I love coming up here every day, showing all the hard work that I put in and I love making plays.”
On Friday, Payne was back to doing just that. The former first-rounder returned to the field after missing the first two days of training camp with a minor toe injury. Payne said he sat out because his toe was a “little sore” and it needed to calm down, but added he feels good now.
For this season, Payne has said he’s set a goal of recording 13 sacks. That number would not only be a career high, but according to Stathead, Payne would be just the fifth defensive tackle to reach that mark since 2000. The Rams’ Aaron Donald has done it twice (20 ½ in 2018, 13 ½ in 2020), while Kansas City’s Chris Jones (15 ½ last season) and former linemen La’Roi Glover (17 in 2000) and Warren Sapp (16 1/2 in 2000) have also hit the threshold.
Still, Payne said he arrived at that number specifically because of how he performed in 2022. Last year — considered the best of his career, which helped lead to his life-changing payday — Payne finished with 11 ½ sacks. And there were other plays, he said, in which he felt like he could have gotten to the quarterback.
This offseason, Payne said Friday he focused on adding “new stuff” to his arsenal and that he plans to rely on “some of the old stuff” that made him successful. In Washington, Payne also benefits from playing on a stacked defensive line and next to teammate Jonathan Allen — an intimidating defensive tackle, in his own right.
If Payne is to reach his goal, he’s in the right situation to do so.
“The quickest way to the quarterback is a straight line and the shortest straight line is right through the A-gaps,” coach Ron Rivera said, referring to the pressure that Payne and Allen can provide on the interior. “So, when you have guys like that who can be disruptive and get into those creases and get vertical quickly, it helps the rest of the pass rush.
“It helps the coverage and forces the quarterback to make some decisions a little bit sooner. It cleans up a lot of things for a lot of people.”
The Commanders, as a whole, have invested a ton of resources into the defensive line. On Friday, the team deployed a five-lineman rotation that included defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis — meaning that the team had four first-rounders (Chase Young, Montez Sweat, Payne and Allen) and a second-rounder (Mathis) on the same line.
“I know they put a lot of capital into the D-Line room, so we like to put that on our shoulders and we take it head on,” Payne said. We know they like to put us on the field, and we love being on the field.”
The Commanders paid Payne this offseason to make sure it stayed together for at least another year.
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