Commanders' Daron Payne: Cashes in with massive new contract

The Commanders agreed to sign Payne to a four-year, $90 million contract Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Payne was previously tabbed with the non-exclusive franchise tag Feb. 28 after he and the Commanders were unable to come to terms on a long-term extension before the end of his career-best 2022 campaign. However, this new multi-year deal represents a significant commitment from the team, as the 25-year-old defensive tackle, who recorded a team-high 11.5 sacks in 2022, will now receive $60 million in guaranteed salary over the next four seasons. This deal also makes Payne the second-highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history behind only Aaron Donald.