Commanders' Daron Payne reveals why he signed 4-year contract

Defensive tackle Daron Payne is returning to the Washington Commanders on a four-year, $90 million contract. Payne is now one of the highest-paid players at his position, but the 25-year-old indicated that the money isn't the only reason why he committed to the Commanders for the long term.

“We're one little piece away from being good,” Daron Payne said, via Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports.

The Commanders prevented Payne from becoming an outright free agent by using the franchise tag on him. Instead of accepting a guaranteed one-year salary of just under $19 million, Payne signed through the 2026 season.

It's unclear to what “little piece” Payne might be referring. He could be talking about a quarterback, where Washington doesn't have a proven winner. Commanders head coach Ron Rivera has suggested that Sam Howell could enter training camp as the top quarterback on the depth chart. Howell threw for 169 yards in his only start as a rookie.

The Commanders were the only NFC East team that failed to make the playoffs last season. With an 8-8-1 record, Washington was only a game behind the No. 6 seed New York Giants.

In three straight seasons, Washington has won seven or eight games. Maybe one or two key additions in free agency can get the Commanders over the hump and into the playoffs. The Commanders have already made one significant move by naming Eric Bieniemy their new offensive coordinator.