The Washington Commanders had a relatively quiet free agency this past offseason, but they still managed to sign quality players, like Deatrich Wise and Javon Kinlaw, while making trades for Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil.

Injuries have been a big story for a lot of teams this offseason, and the Commanders have been included in the long list. They lost Wise and Austin Ekeler for the season in the same game, and the Commanders could be given a compensatory pick because of it.

Commanders’ loss qualifies for a compensatory pick

Not a lot of people know this, but when Wise went down for the season, it opened the door for the Commanders to get a 2026 compensatory pick. Since he went down for the season in just the second game, he may not qualify as a compensatory free agent for the Commanders, who also lost Dante Fowler to the Dallas Cowboys. It’s not official, but the Commanders are projected to get an extra sixth-round compensatory pick for Fowler.

There's a new team on the 2026 comp picks board: the Commanders.

While losing Deatrich Wise to a season ending injury is bad, a silver lining is that he might not qualify as a compensatory free agent, which opens up a 6th rounder for Dante Fowler leaving for the rival Cowboys.

— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) September 30, 2025

Losing Wise for the season was a big blow, but it’s good to know that the Commanders could be compensated fairly for losing him so early. Compensatory picks can be tricky, so it’s important to know all the facts and how things can change.

How the Commanders could get a compensatory pick

The Commanders lost more qualifying free agents than they gained in free agency if Wise is cancelled out, so that makes them eligible for a compensatory pick. To qualify, a player must have a contract for a vet minimum. Players signed in May don’t qualify, like Von Miller. Contract value, playing time, and accolades also carry some weight in determining what round the compensatory pick is awarded.

It’s projected to be a sixth-round pick because of how Fowler is playing right now, but it could get better or worse depending on how he finishes the season and what accolades he collects. This chart on Over The Cap reflects the cancellation chart, and Wise’s removal from the gained section is what we are watching for.

The downside, however, is that the NFL only gives out 32 compensatory picks, so some teams will unfortunately miss the 32 pick limit, and the Commanders could be one of those teams, depending on Fowler’s performance and how things turn out for every other team. There’s still a lot of season left, but we will have to watch what happens.

The Commanders have a first, a third, a fifth, two sixths, and a seventh-rounder. The trade for Tunsil took the second and fourth round picks for 2026, but they also got the extra sixth from the Brian Robinson Jr. trade. That extra pick is much needed for this team, which could also trade players away at the deadline or make a trade as buyers.