Player News
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Payne (back) was a full participant in Thursday's practice session. Payne opened with a limited tag Wednesday due to a back issue, but he was able to practice without restrictions Thursday. Payne and Jonathan Allen will anchor the middle of the Commanders' defensive front this season, with Dorance Armstrong and Clelin Ferrell lining up on the ends.
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Payne (back) was a limited participant during practice Wednesday. Payne will start Week 1 prep as questionable for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. The Alabama product has only missed one regular-season game in his six-year career, so the chance of him sitting out Sunday is likely small. However, it'll still be worth monitoring his status for practice Thursday and Friday.
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Payne recorded 53 tackles (32 solo), 4.0 sacks, four pass defenses, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries across 17 games in 2023. The 320-pound DT has missed just one game through six pro seasons, but his pass-rushing stats took a big step backward in 2023 following career highs of 11.5 sacks and 20 QB hits the year prior. He's otherwise recorded between 2.0 and 5.0 sacks each year, and while he remains one of the better players on Washington's beleaguered defense, the four-year, $90 million contract he signed last spring could look like an overpay to a new coaching staff. Cutting him would incur a massive dead cap hit of $46.4 million though, so Payne figures to be back in 2024 and should be one of the few returning starters locked into a key role.
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Payne (lower leg) is not practicing Wednesday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports. Payne briefly left Sunday's win over the Broncos due to an apparent lower leg injury, but he was able to retake the field in that contest. That could bode well for Payne's chances of suiting up Week 3 versus the Bills, but his participation in practice Thursday and Friday will need to be monitored.
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Payne recorded five tackles (three solo), including two sacks, during Sunday's 24-10 loss to the Browns. Payne accounted for two of the Commanders' five sacks on quarterback Deshaun Watson in Week 17. The fifth-year defensive tackle leads the team in sacks this season with a career-high 11.5 and has now logged a new career high in tackles with 62 over 16 games this season. Payne could see added attention from the Cowboys' offensive line if fellow defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (knee) sits out next week's regular-season finale.
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Scheduled Games
| WK | DATE | OPP | OPP RANK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 09/23 | @Cincinnati | 19 |
| 4 | 09/29 | @Arizona | 21 |
| 5 | 10/06 | Cleveland | 28 |
| 6 | 10/13 | @Baltimore | 1 |
| 7 | 10/20 | Carolina | 15 |
| 8 | 10/27 | Chicago | 5 |
| 9 | 11/03 | @New York | 16 |
| 10 | 11/10 | Pittsburgh | 2 |
| 11 | 11/14 | @Philadelphia | 25 |
| 12 | 11/24 | Dallas | 24 |
| 13 | 12/01 | Tennessee | 17 |
| 14 | BYE | - | - |
| 15 | 12/15 | @New Orleans | 11 |
| 16 | 12/22 | Philadelphia | 25 |
| 17 | 12/29 | Atlanta | 13 |
| 18 | 01/05 | @Dallas | 24 |