The Washington Commanders finished the 2024 season with a 12-5 record, securing a Wild Card berth and the No. 6 seed in the NFC. They will have some tough decisions to make in free agency after a spectacular season that ended in an NFC Championship Game loss.
With several key players set to be free agents and the third-most cap space in the NFL, Washington figures to be one of the most active teams in free agency this year.
Washington Commanders’ Notable Free Agents
The Commanders were one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2024 season. One year after finishing at 4-13 and securing the No. 2 overall pick, Washington was able to secure double-digit victories and make the postseason.
It didn’t end there, though, as the team upset the Buccaneers in the Wild Card round, proving the team was way ahead of schedule.
Despite a great season, thanks in large part to rookie sensation Jayden Daniels’ success at the quarterback position, Washington must not get complacent. Time and time again, it has been proven that nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, and just because a team is successful one year does not mean that will translate to the next season.
Here’s a list of the 2025 free agents:
- Middle linebacker Bobby Wagner
- Safety Jeremy Chinn
- Tight end Zach Ertz
- Edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr.
- Cornerback Noah Igbinoghene
- Kicker Austin Seibert
- Punter Tress Way
- Cornerback Michael Davis
- Quarterback Marcus Mariota
- Edge rusher Clelin Ferrell
- Wide receiver Dyami Brown
- Defensive tackle Sheldon Day
- Offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas
- Wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus
- Cornerback Benjamin St-Juste
- Running back Jeremy McNichols
- Wide receiver Noah Brown
- Running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (ERFA)
- Linebacker Nick Bellore
- Defensive lineman Jalyn Holmes
- Wide receiver Jamison Crowder
- Offensive lineman Trent Scott
- Kicker Zane Gonzalez
- Tight end John Bates
- Linebacker Mykal Walker
- Wide receiver K.J. Osborn
- Safety Darrick Forrest
- Quarterback Jeff Driskel
- Left guard Michael Deiter
- Wide receiver Kazmeir Allen (SFA)
- Right guard Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi (SFA)
Washington Commanders 2025 Cap Space and Players To Cut
Heading into the offseason, the Commanders are in great shape with the salary cap. They rank No. 3 in the NFL in cap space, which should give them plenty of room to make additions and retain whichever free agents they prefer. With Daniels on a rookie contract, not much money is tied up in the quarterback position, which gives Adam Peters plenty of flexibility as he heads into his second season as the GM.
While there is no need to cut any players from their roster due to the abundance of cap space, they have a few players they could move on from to generate even more cap space.
One option for Washington would be to cut defensive tackle Jonathan Allen. While Allen was once a dominant piece for the Commanders, his production has dipped the past two seasons. He battled injuries this past year, which limited him to only playing in eight games.
In those eight games, he was limited to 19 tackles (16 solo and 3 assists), three tackles for loss, and three sacks. If Washington cuts Allen (2025 cap: $22,470,588), it would save them $16,470,588 since he has no guaranteed money left on his contract.
Their other option would be cutting defensive tackle Daron Payne (2025 cap: $26,170,000). This is much less likely as they would incur plenty of dead money whether it was designated pre-June 1 ($25,800,000) or post-June 1 ($14,600,000). If they were to cut him, it would have to be with a post-June 1 designation because that’s the only way it would add worthwhile cap space ($11,570,000).
