Grading the signing: Commanders sign free agent K’Lavon Chaisson to bolster biggest team weakness

The Commanders add another pass rusher to the mix by bringing in free agent K’Lavon Chaisson, who is coming off a career year.

AJ Schulte, Josh Taylor
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New England Patriots linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson (44) runs in a touchdown off a Tennessee Titans fumble during the third quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025. © Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Washington Commanders continue to add to the defense as they have now gone five for five in defensive players in free agency.

While we wait for them to add an offensive player, we will continue to look at the job general manager Adam Peters has done to revamp the defensive line. After paying a four-year, $100 million contract to Odafe Oweh, they signed K’Lavon Chaisson to an excellent value contract, at just one-year, $12 million.

The numbers are in, and the deal is finalized this afternoon, but now it’s time to grade the move and put my real opinion on the signing of Chaisson.

Commanders add K’Lavon Chaisson to bolster pass-rushing production

The Commanders had a clear goal of adding to the defensive line this offseason, and they have after signing Oweh, Tim Settle, as he returns to Washington, and now Chaisson. They also needed more bodies, and there’s a giant unknown around Dorance Armstrong after his significant knee injury. The Commanders needed an answer, and that’s what Chaisson is.

A to Z Sports beat writer AJ Schulte says that Chaisson is an explosive athlete off the line of scrimmage, and he may just be hitting his groove at the peak of his career.

“Call me pleasantly surprised by K’Lavon Chaisson’s 2025 season. After years of mediocre play from the former first-rounder, Chaisson turned his career around in New England, posting 54 pressures and 10.5 sacks. He’s an explosive speed rusher dependent on winning with his first step and bending around the edge, giving opposing tackles fits up the arc and attacking with his speed on slants and stunts. He’s not the strongest run defender, but he is capable of playing on all three downs. In an ideal world, he is a #2 rusher working alongside a good pass rush to set him up with one-on-ones on the outside.” – AJ Schulte, A to Z Sports

Grading the signing of K’Lavon Chaisson

I personally love this signing for three big reasons. The first is because Chaisson is only 26 years old and coming off a career year after a slow start to his NFL career. The next one is because the Commanders desperately needed more pass rusher help, and they didn’t just stop after adding Oweh; they got another highly productive player to add to the mix.

The third reason is the contract. Instead of just throwing another expensive bag at Chaisson after his best season yet, they landed him on a safer one-year prove-it deal, when he was expected to make a three-year, $45 million contract this offseason. Let him show he can be consistent and thrive in the system, and reward him next offseason.

He isn’t the best run-stopper, as Schulte mentioned above, but he can still play all three downs. I had to dock him a point for his run-stopping ability, but he still gets an A- from me because of the reasons I listed.

GRADE: A-

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