3 stars Commanders could target in 2026

Every offseason presents its own set of challenges for teams like the Washington Commanders, including which of their pending free agents they should keep and which ones they should let depart the franchise.

In 2025, for example, the Commanders brought several back but let others like safety Jeremy Chinn and outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. depart for other teams. Although it also takes two to tango, as they say, and the players certainly have a say in staying or going as well.

For Washington, the yearly dance of retaining talent and signing new names to the roster will come again in 2026, and thanks to NFL Daily Host Gregg Rosenthal, we have an early look at three guys general manager Adam Peters might look to bring in from outside organizations when the time comes.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91). | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

EDGE Trey Hendrickson

After agreeing to a pay raise in 2025 in lieu of a contract extension, it seems inevitable that Hendrickson will hit the open market in 2026.

He’ll be 31 years old at the time, turning 32 before the 2026 NFL Playoffs begin, but if he can produce double-digit sacks off the edge for a third straight season, there’s little doubt he’ll be a highly pursued free agent.

“The Bengals’ one-year raise for Hendrickson makes it likely that he actually makes it to free agency next offseason. A potential franchise tag would cost $36 million,” Rosenthal said of Hendrickson.

There is a belief that Peters and the Commanders at least inquired about trading for Hendrickson so it is hard to believe the two sides won’t at least have a conversation.

Depending on what 2025 brings, splurging on even an aging superstar is exactly the kind of move a team makes when they know they’re close to winning a Super Bowl, or looking to win another, and have one more year of a franchise quarterback on a rookie deal.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen (27). | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

CB Tariq Woolen

After taking the league by storm in 2022 as a rookie, Woolen’s performances have come back down to earth a bit, and after nabbing six interceptions in his first season, he has five over the course of the past two.

Still, there’s plenty to like there, and if second-year Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald decides Woolen isn’t right for the future of his defense, then don’t be surprised to see Washington take a run at the athletic corner, especially if things don’t pan out in 2025 with Marshon Lattimore.

“Woolen improved his tackling in 2024 to fortify a promising career for a cornerback with incredible size and speed,” Rosenthal says of Woolen.

Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland (26). | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

CB DarRon Bland

Yes, Bland does currently play for the Dallas Cowboys, which opens the door to criticize this pick as a lame connection to Commanders head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., but the connection is real and shouldn’t be discounted.

Drafted in the fifth round in Quinn’s second season as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, all Bland did was become a starter as a rookie and collect 14 interceptions in his first two NFL seasons.

Then, Quinn left for Washington, and in one year without him and Whitt, Bland didn’t get a single interception in seven games, though he also suffered a foot injury that cost him those 10 missing games.

Still, the fact that Bland’s production fell off so dramatically could be concerning, and if that pattern repeats itself in 2025, there’s no reason not to believe the cornerback might go looking to get back into the system that helped him become a Pro Bowler and All-Pro in 2023.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 season.

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