The Washington Commanders simply cannot catch a break. Over the last two seasons, their roster has suffered significant, season-ending injuries across the board. In their Week 6 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, the Commanders lost star wide receiver Terry McLaurin for the remainder of the season. Before that, Jayden Daniels re-injured his left elbow, and Athan Kaliakmanis debuted in the NFL when Marcus Mariota went down with a knee injury.
Those are just a few of the things this team has been handed in 2026, and now they’re getting smacked in the mouth with another season-ending injury. On Friday, starting defensive tackle Daron Payne went down with a “significant” injury. Today, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Payne is, in fact, lost
for the season with a fracture in his foot.
Source: Commanders DL Daron Payne did in fact suffer a season-ending Jones fracture during Friday’s practice. https://t.co/CAc9dacEO6
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 31, 2026
Payne, 29, is in his ninth NFL season after Washington made him the No. 13 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He has appeared in 136 career games for Washington, starting 130 and recording 446 tackles, including 67 for loss, 86 quarterback hits, 38 sacks, eight forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and one interception. He made the Pro Bowl in 2022, which was his best NFL season. Payne finished that year with 64 tackles, 28 TFLs, 20 quarterback hits and 11.5 sacks. He signed a four-year extension that offseason and will be a free agent at the end of this season.
The Commanders’ next challenge is on Sunday night when they host the Philadelphia Eagles, who are, incredibly, more banged up than Washington. Payne’s loss makes getting Jer’Zhan Newton back to practice even more important, and they’ll need him back in game shape as soon as possible.
Payne will become the eighth player to land on IR for the Commanders this season, and the most frustrating part is that it happened late in Friday's practice. His loss creates a huge hole on the defensive line, so be on the lookout for roster moves soon.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' Daron Payne suffers season-ending foot fracture
