The Washington Commanders are off to a 3-1 start this season, and defensive lineman Daron Payne is relishing the team’s early success. Payne, who has been with Washington since 2018, has seen the ups and downs of the franchise.
In his tenure, the team has cycled through multiple quarterbacks and reached the playoffs just once, in 2020, when they were eliminated by Tom Brady’s Super Bowl-bound Buccaneers.
Payne, a steady force for the Commanders since being selected 13th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, has recorded no fewer than 50 tackles in any season. With 30.5 career sacks and 6 forced fumbles, he’s become a cornerstone of Washington’s defense. The 2022 season saw him reach double-digit sacks for the first time, but this year feels different, largely due to the influence of head coach Dan Quinn.
Quinn, known for his defensive prowess, notably led the Seattle Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom” to a Super Bowl in 2014 and more recently turned the Dallas Cowboys into one of the league’s top defenses as their defensive coordinator. Now leading the Commanders , Quinn has quickly transformed the team into a more competitive force, helping elevate the defense and energize the squad.