The Washington Commanders entered free agency knowing they needed to improve their pass rush in 2026. The same was true a year ago, when despite trying, Washington largely failed to add a pass rusher other than signing 36-year-old Von Miller before training camp.
That’s not a knock on Miller, a future Hall of Famer and one of the all-time greats, but the Commanders signed him with the intention of having him be a third-down pass rusher and play limited snaps. Due to injuries, Miller had to play more, and he played well, leading the team with 9 sacks. But there’s no way general manager Adam Peters is going into another offseason without focusing on addressing the edge position.
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So it’s no surprise that the Commanders signed one of their top prospects in free agency: Lightning edge Odafe Oweh. Washington and Ovie agreed to a four-year, $96 million deal. Peters wasn’t done yet, signing Klavon Chaisson and Charles Omenihu.
Both players signed one-year deals, but Peters seemed particularly surprised at the NFL’s annual league meeting that he was able to sign Chaisson.
“Very excited about the players we brought in, the players we have, so of course the focus is on getting there and getting Oweh, and getting KC, and we still have the players we have in the building,” Peters said. “Really, that was something we needed to work out, and we did. We were actually pretty surprised that we were able to get those two, especially thinking Craven would be a little bit more.”
Peters then talked more about Chaisson.
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“Because we’ve been patient with certain things, we’ve been able to sit back and wait and let some things come to us and I think you know he’s going to be motivated because he’s still young. He’s still really, you know, he’s still on the rise, so I think he’s got a year to prove that and I think he’s going to do a good job.”
Peters also praised Ovi, calling him a talent who continues to improve.
As for Chaisson, Washington signed him to a one-year contract worth up to $12 million. Chaisson is a former first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars who struggled through four seasons before joining the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024. Chaisson showed promise in a part-time role, earning a one-year deal from the New England Patriots last offseason. He performed even better with the Patriots, racking up 31 tackles including 10 for loss, 7.5 sacks, 10 fumbles and two forced fumbles.
Chaisson was dominant in the postseason, recording three sacks, four tackles for loss, a forced fumble and 10 quarterback hits.
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Even better for Washington, Chaisson is also a solid run defender.
Commanders are banking on Oweh and Chaisson solving their pass rush issues in 2026. Even better, Washington will also have Dorance Armstrong back from injury. Armstrong was having a career year in 2025, but suffered a torn ACL in Week 7.
Peters needed to address the pass rush, which he did before the 2026 NFL Draft. Even better, these signings won’t prevent Washington from drafting its best pass rusher, if that’s the top player on the board. Only Ovie is signed beyond 2026.
This article originally appeared on Commander’s Wire: Washington Commander: Peters sees big things for K’Lavon Chaisson
