Injuries are relentless. The Washington Commanders have been plagued by injuries all season, and it appears one of them cost the Commanders draft capital.
There were rumors that Washington could be looking to move on from former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Daron Payne despite how wide-open the NFC East is. NFL insider Ian Rapoport confirmed the speculation, saying the Commanders were negotiating a potential trade with a division rival, the New York Giants.
However, Payne’s season-ending foot injury put an end to those trade discussions. It is unknown what draft capital Washington would have gotten from the Giants in exchange for Payne. Still, this could actually be a blessing in disguise for the Commanders.
Payne was having a strong start to the
season with a sack, 14 total tackles and a forced fumble against the Giants in overtime. He was on track to have his best season since his Pro Bowl year in 2022. That is not the kind of production Washington would want their division rival, who is also first in the NFC East, to have.
From @BigDayESPN: Could the #Giants swing big at the trade deadline? pic.twitter.com/6AoOFWiaFM
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 3, 2026
He is set to become a free agent after this season. So the reason for the trade could be that they wanted something for him instead of losing him in March without getting any capital. Still, it is probably for the best for the Commanders’ playoff chances that Payne didn’t go to the Giants, although it’s unfortunate that a season-ending injury is the reason.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' NFC East rival was interested in Daron Payne before season-ending injury
