Commanders miss on top free agent option before they even get a chance after latest 2026 NFL offseason domino
The Commanders will have to shift their 2026 NFL free agency board after a top target was hit with the franchise tag.
The Washington Commanders are preparing for a crucial offseason with the 2026 NFL free agency period just two weeks away.
The free agency tampering window opens on March 9th, and teams will be looking to sign their top free agent targets this offseason. Before we get to free agency, teams will have to make tough decisions regarding their own pending free agents, including the Commanders.
The latest NFL domino takes one of the best free agent options off the market, and the Commanders will have to pivot.
The Atlanta Falcons placed the franchise tag on TE Kyle Pitts
The free agent market isn’t the strongest this offseason, but some notable names can make a major impact for a new team if they actually hit the market. One of the top players in free agency this offseason was going to be TE Kyle Pitts, but now he’s staying with the Falcons after getting the franchise tag.
The franchise tag is worth $16 million, which is around what Pitts was projected to make this offseason on a long-term deal. Now, the Commanders have one top target off the board, and they’ll have to decide who to set their sights on now. They’ll have plenty of options from younger rising players to proven veterans who can contribute.
TE options for the Commanders to target in free agency
The next highest-ranked free agent TE this offseason is 31-year-old Dallas Goedert, who is coming off a career-high 12 touchdowns in 2025. He will be an underrated option among the Commanders’ fan base, but a sure safety blanket and producer for Jayden Daniels next season. Not every position has to get younger and faster, and people shouldn’t sleep on Goedert in free agency.
The group gets younger after Goedert, and TE Isaiah Likely might be the next best option. Likely is coming off a strange 2025 season, where he looked to be the new TE1 in Baltimore, but an injury held him out to start the season, and Mark Andrews took over with a new contract extension.
Likely is just 26 years old next season, and he could be one of the younger ascending players the Commanders need to target. Likely is projected to make around $10 million per year this offseason, but contracts will be inflated with the NFL salary cap boost.
After Likely, I’d expect Cade Otten and Chigoziem Okonkwo to have a higher market value than expected. Both are just 26 years old as well, and could make anywhere from $9-$11 million per year with a new team. No matter who the Commanders sign, they have to fill the void of Zach Ertz’s production and a lot of unproven youth on the roster.
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