That’s no knock on Miller, a future Hall of Famer and one of the all-time greats, but the Commanders signed him to be a third-down pass rusher and play limited snaps. Due to injuries, Miller had to play more and played well, leading the team with nine sacks. But there was no way general manager Adam Peters would enter another offseason without significantly addressing the edge rusher position.
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So it was no surprise that the Commanders landed one of the top players in free agency: Chargers EDGE Odafe Oweh. Washington and Oweh agreed to a four-year, $96 million contract. Peters wasn’t done and hired K’Lavon Chaisson and Charles Omenihu.
Both players signed one-year contracts, but Peters, at the NFL’s annual league meetings, seemed particularly surprised that he was able to land Chaisson.
“I’m really excited about the guys we brought in, the guys we have, and certainly a point of emphasis to get there and get Oweh, and get KC, and we still have the guys we have in the building,” Peters said. “Actually, that was something we needed to address, and we did. It’s actually pretty surprising that we were able to get those two guys and we especially thought K’Lavon would be a little bit more.”
Peters then spoke more about Chaisson.
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“Because we were patient with some things, we were able to sit back and wait and let some things come to us, and I think you know he’s going to be motivated because he’s still so young. He’s still, you know, he’s still moving up, so I think he’s got a year to show it, and I think he’s going to do very well.”
Peters also praised Oweh, calling him a rising talent.
As for Chaisson, Washington signed him to a one-year deal worth up to $12 million. Chaisson, a former first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, struggled for four seasons before landing with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024. Chaisson showed promise in a part-time role, earning a one-year deal with the New England Patriots last offseason. He was even better for the Patriots, recording 31 tackles, including 10 for loss, 7.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
Chaisson was dominant in the playoffs, finishing with three sacks, four tackles for loss, a forced fumble and 10 quarterback hits.Advertisement
Even better for Washington, Chaisson is also a solid run defender.
The Commanders are betting big on Oweh and Chaisson to solve their pass rush problems in 2026. Even better, Washington will also get Dorance Armstrong back from injury. Armstrong was having a career year in 2025 before tearing his ACL in Week 7.
Peters needed to fix the pass rush and he did so before the 2026 NFL Draft. Even better, these signings don’t stop Washington from drafting the best pass rusher available if that’s the best player on the board. Only Oweh is signed beyond 2026.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Peters Sees Big Things for K’Lavon Chaisson