After a breakout season with the New England Patriots, edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson cashed in on his success, agreeing to terms with the Washington Commanders on a one-year deal for $12 million, according to his agency, Athletes First.
Chaisson, a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, was one of a slew of free-agent signings by the Patriots last year who worked out in a big way. He took a one-year deal with New England, hoping it would yield the best football of his career and fulfill some of the expectations that arrived when he was the 20th pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars six years ago.
The breakout he hoped for arrived in the form of a career-high 7.5 sacks and 59 pressures. Chaisson, 26, was at his best in the biggest games, too, notching 20 pressures in New England’s four playoff games during its run to the Super Bowl.
He was No. 43 on The Athletic’s list of the top 150 free agents of 2026 and seventh among edge rushers.
Chaisson’s first four NFL seasons with the Jaguars were disappointing, as he never totaled more than two sacks. The Jags didn’t pick up his fifth-year option, and Chaisson joined the Las Vegas Raiders for the 2024 season.
Chaisson is a better pass rusher than run defender, which could limit his playing time to passing situations. He is a bit undersized at 255 pounds, but he uses his speed and quick twitch to get after the passer.
At worst, Chaisson is a rotational piece on the edge; he hasn’t started a full season in his career. At best, he’s a starter with something to prove.
Chaisson hasn’t quite lived up to his first-round draft slot, but he is coming off two fairly productive seasons. In 2024 with the Raiders, he had five sacks, most of them coming off the bench (he started only four games that season). His 11.6 percent pressure rate was also the second-highest among Raiders players with at least 100 pass rushes that season, according to Next Gen Stats.
Last season, he had his most productive year yet, totaling 7.5 sacks plus a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Chaisson’s arrival creates competition but also puts Washington’s other edge players on notice. That includes Dorance Armstrong and Javontae Jean-Baptiste, who are returning from injuries they sustained last season, as well as Drake Jackson, who agreed to a one-year deal with the team before the open negotiating period began.
Chaisson’s deal is for one year and $12 million, which is relatively cheap for a premium position.
With Odafe Oweh secured on a four-year deal, this shorter deal allows Washington to possibly take another pass rusher high in the draft. But now the Commanders don’t have to force it if the top player on their board is at another position.
We won’t know the true cap impact of all these deals until we see the structure of the contracts, but in their six acquisitions, the Commanders have spent about $184 million in total contract value.
Despite the negative rhetoric on social media about the Commanders’ deals (and non-deals) in free agency, the team has set itself up well and done everything it said it would going into the offseason. General manager Adam Peters said the pass rush and defense overall were the priority. He and coach Dan Quinn said it was important to get faster and younger. And defensive coordinator Daronte Jones said he wanted versatile and tough players.
So far, they’ve brought in two edge rushers in their mid-20s in Chaisson and Oweh. They’ve added a young and versatile linebacker in Leo Chenal, whose forte is stopping the run but who can also bring pressure with blitzes. They have a rotational tackle in Tim Settle, who is only 28, and a scrappy cornerback in Amik Robertson, who can play inside and outside.
The Commanders knew they needed to overhaul their defense, and they’ve taken steps to create an on-field product that is far different from the five-win team we saw last year.
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