When the Washington Commanders signed defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw to a three-year, $45 million deal in March 2025, many pundits called it one of free agency's worst moves.
The 6-foot-5, 319-pound Kinlaw was a first-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2020 NFL Draft. After four seasons, the 49ers had seen enough and did not exercise the fifth-year option on Kinlaw's rookie contract, and he signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets.
Kinlaw had his ups and downs with the Jets, but certainly not enough to invest in a long-term contract.
The Commanders felt differently about Kinlaw. He was still only 27 and had shown flashes of being a really good run defender. And his size. Not many people of Kinlaw's size could move like him. Additionally,
Commanders GM Adam Peters was in San Francisco's front office for each of Kinlaw's four seasons there. If Peters didn't believe in Kinlaw's potential, then why would he sign him in the first place?
Kinlaw started all 17 games for the Commanders last season. He finished with 43 tackles, including five for loss. He did not record a sack. At times, Kinlaw looked unstoppable. But far too often, much like the rest of Washington's 2025 defense, there were more misses than hits.
This offseason, the Commanders got a new defensive coordinator, Daronte Jones. In addition to Jones, Washington hired one of the NFL's best defensive line coaches, Eric Henderson. Those changes have rejuvenated everyone, including Kinlaw.
"God is good, bro. I'm getting to play everywhere," Kinlaw said of Jones' new scheme. "The shade, the two wide, the three, the four, the five, the six. I'm playing it all, man. I'm loving it. I'm loving how I'm getting to just give guys different looks and be all over the place, man."
The Commanders' defensive front will look much different in 2026. Several new starters will surround Kinlaw. What are his realistic goals for this season?
Dominance. Just be dominant.
"My goal is to just take it one day at a time, bro," Kinlaw said. "Sometimes you get caught up in looking forward too fast and peaking too early, but I'm just trying to take it one day at a time, bro. That's it. I got some goals to just be dominant. Be as most dominant as I can be, as completely coachable as I can and just lead."
The Commanders brought in Tim Settle this offseason, and already have Kinlaw, Daron Payne and Jer'Zhan Newton on the interior defensive line. Payne is playing in a contract year, and Kinlaw knows he needs to produce in 2026. If Kinlaw is dominant, that's great news for the Commanders in their efforts to turn around one of the league's worst defenses.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' Javon Kinlaw sums up 2026 goals in three words
