$Commanders' Daron Payne suffers season-ending Jones fracture$

Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Commanders' Daron Payne suffers season-ending Jones fracture

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Oct 31, 2026 11:26 AM ET

Not much has gone right for the Washington Commanders this season.

Injuries have contributed to Washington getting off to a 1-4-1 start through six games, and the news didn't get any better late Friday with yet another star player going down with an injury.

Daron Payne is out for the season

It was reported late Friday by NFL insider Ian Rapoport that Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne suffered a foot injury in practice that would land him on IR and potentially knock him out for the season.

The situation was updated Saturday morning by ESPN's NFL insider Adam Schefter, as he reported that Payne suffered a season-ending Jones fracture in his foot. It is a major blow to a Washington defense that Payne was the unquestionable leader of and has been for several years now.

It also removes Payne as a potential trade candidate if Washington isn't able to turn its season around in the coming weeks.

#Commanders standout DT Daron Payne suffered a significant foot injury today in practice that will knock him out for the foreseeable future and likely land him IR, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo.

Payne will undergo more evaluations tomorrow. But another tough blow for… pic.twitter.com/ENPd0FB1eV
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 30, 2026

Source: Commanders DL Daron Payne did in fact suffer a season-ending Jones fracture during Friday’s practice. https://t.co/CAc9dacEO6
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 31, 2026

Daron Payne may have played his last snap with the organization

Payne was playing in the final season of a four-year, $90 million contract extension he signed in 2023. He'll be entering his 10th NFL season next year, and there's a real chance the Commanders do not decide to re-sign Payne.

His production has declined over the previous two seasons, and he'll now also be coming off a serious injury when next season begins. The combo of those two things could make Payne a free agent for the first time in his NFL career.

If that is the case, Payne will have put together a solid career in Washington that will make him a coveted free-agent addition for several teams around the league.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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