Commanders Trade Hopes Dashed After Surprise Star's Injury
The Washington Commanders missed out on an opportunity to trade a star player after a surprise injury in practice.
The Washington Commanders were in discussions to trade veteran defensive tackle Daron Payne before the trade deadline on November 10, according to reports from Pro Football Talk. However, Payne suffered a season-ending foot injury during practice on Friday, preventing any trade from occurring. The 29-year-old recorded 14 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble during the first six weeks of the season and is in the final year of his contract.
Keeping Payne out of practice and out of Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles would have signaled the team's hopelessness, placing pressure on head coach Dan Quinn to win games. Retaining Quinn after the bye week in Week 7 indicated the team's desire to keep him, but the injury has now left the Commanders with his entire $16.4 million 2026 base salary.
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