The Washington Commanders have been busy making salary-cap plans for the offseason. And they’ll have to decide which players to let walk. But here is one free agent who would fix the Commanders’ biggest flaw heading into the 2026 season.
Like most NFL teams, the Commanders weren’t able to overcome key injuries in the 2025 season. They lost quarterback Jayden Daniels for much of the season. And the team didn’t have the 2024 spark even when Daniels made it onto the field.
But let’s assume a healthy upcoming season for Daniels. And that makes this call for Dan Quinn, Adam Peters, and the Commanders pretty easy. And NO (all caps), it isn’t wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Keep in mind the direction of this article: One free agent who would fix the Commanders’ biggest flaw. That doesn’t have any regard for age or affordability. It’s just the best fix. And that would be …
Commanders’ fix is EDGE Trey Hendrickson
OK, I get it. Hendrickson would be a fix for quite a few NFL teams. But the Commanders’ biggest flaw — without a doubt and no debate needed — is their inability to get to the quarterback.
The Commanders basically tried to play defense while opposing quarterbacks operated with impunity. That’s impossible in the NFL. And the Commanders’ lack of defensive superlatives showed up in the form of 12 losses.
So how would Hendrickson improve things? Dramatically and overnight. He’s ranked No. 1 on the Pro Football Focus free-agent board despite coming off a rough season from a physical standpoint.
“Hendrickson battled injuries throughout the 2025 season but still ranked sixth among all edge defenders in PFF pass-rush grade (90.0),” PFF wrote. “He has now posted five consecutive seasons with a PFF pass-rush grade above 85.0 and generated 23 total pressures on 177 pass-rush snaps this year.”
Now, whether those numbers mean much to you or not, Hendrickson is a tremendous pass rusher. Since we’re pretending Daniels will have an injury-free season, let’s do the same with Hendrickson.
In his last two 17-game seasons, 2023 and 2024, Hendrickson racked up 17.5 sacks in each one. Just as good, he had 61 quarterback hits. Even better, he had 35 tackles for loss. And he had a career-high 18 quarterback hurries.
Also, his “approximate value” in 2024 was 15, the highest of his career, according to Pro Football Reference.
Now, he’s 31 years old and will turn 32 in December. He’s no spring chicken. But again, the idea of this article is to fix the Commanders’ biggest flaw.
And Hendrickson is that guy.
Not everybody agrees on Trey Hendrickson
It’s only fair to point out another perspective. And NFL.com has just that, ranking Hendrickson as the No. 6 free agent overall. The injury is a factor.
“Only one season removed from finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, Hendrickson hits free agency again,” Gregg Rosenthal wrote. “This time, as a 31-year-old coming off core muscle surgery. He’s a boom-or-bust signing for a team looking to get over the hump.”
But … keep in mind that Rosenthal didn’t exclude the “boom” part of things. And that’s what the Commanders would be targeting with Hendrickson.
Let’s face it. In the NFL, every single free agent is a boom or bust. That’s because injuries are so common. And it sounds like Rosenthal agrees that Hendrickson is a boom if he stays healthy. Rosenthal isn’t banking on the health.
But let’s see how Hendrickson could impact the Commanders.
Signing Trey Hendrickson would make difference for offseason
First, the Commanders could pursue a back-end piece in the free-agent market if they get Hendrickson. And that could create a mini-domino effect heading into the draft.
If edge rushers Rueben Bain Jr. and David Bailey are both off the board when the Commanders’ pick — and safety Caleb Downs is gone, too — they could go after a wide receiver. This would be a safer pick if they have Hendrickson on board.
And if one of those three defenders is still available, the Commanders could go from a big flaw to a position of strength. For example, they could pair Hendrickson with Bain Jr. and overhaul their defense in one offseason.
Make no mistake, that’s what the Commanders need to do. They must overhaul the defense. And it starts with getting a legitimate pass rush. The offense can score points, but the defense must be able to put up at least an average amount of resistance.
