Daron Payne may have played his last down for the Washington Commanders. During Friday’s practice in preparation for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Payne, Washington’s second-longest-tenured player behind punter Tress Way, suffered a significant foot injury and will head to injured reserve.
Payne, who was Washington’s first-round pick in 2018, is in his ninth NFL season and has missed only three career games. While the extent of Payne’s injury isn’t known, it being called “significant” certainly sounds like Payne could be done for the season.
Payne’s name had been at the center of trade rumors in recent weeks ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline. With the injury, he will not be traded. With his contract coming due at season’s end,
Payne has a good chance of landing elsewhere in 2027.
So, after the news of his injury spread, Payne posted a message on his Instagram, seemingly directed at fans — and detractors.
Daron Payne posted this on his IG. pic.twitter.com/v43M0zSQcC
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) October 31, 2026
So, Payne gave a shout-out to his supporters and promised a strong comeback. However, his message to detractors is easy to dissect.
That’s an interesting response from Payne. Most Washington fans don’t have a lot to say about Payne, good or bad. However, a portion of the fan base has been frustrated with his play outside of one season—2022—his first contract year. Payne set career highs in every category, including tackles, tackles for loss, sacks and quarterback hits. Payne earned a four-year extension from the Commanders worth $94 million—the second-highest ever for a defensive tackle at the time, behind only Aaron Donald.
Payne hasn’t reached any of those 2022 numbers since signing his new deal.
A parting of ways in the offseason is probably good for both sides.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders DT Daron Payne sends message to fans, detractors after injury
