The Washington Commanders have over 30 impending free agents ready to hit the market in 2026, and a good amount of cap space to work with.
One of the positions the Commanders desperately need to address is tight end. Zach Ertz is aging, and they will likely let him hit the free agency market this year. After Ertz, the Commanders have former second-round pick Ben Sinnott, blocking ace John Bates and Colson Yankoff. Bates is arguably the NFL's top blocking tight end, while Sinnott has yet to emerge as a No. 1 tight end. Sinnott has shown promise, but not enough for the Commanders to go into the 2026 season with him as the top tight end.
So, the Commanders can address this in free agency or the draft, and if they do it in free agency, they have a shot at picking up Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku. Njoku took to Instagram on Monday and indicated that his time in Cleveland is over, and he will be testing the free agency market. One NFL analyst believes he could land in Washington.
Washington lost Zach Ertz to a torn ACL toward the end of the 2025 season, and needs a pass-catching tight end to replace him. John Bates is more of a blocker and 2024 second-round pick Ben Sinnott has failed to distinguish himself as a receiving option through his first two seasons. If the Commies decide they need to look outside the building in free agency, Njoku could be a strong option.
As Jared Dubin indicates in his article, guys like Dallas Goedert, Kyle Pitts, and Isaiah Likely are all hitting the free agency market as well, which could lead to some heated contract battles next month. None of them will remain on the market for long; teams will definitely be jockeying to bring them in, and the Commanders have the means to make it happen.
If it's not Njoku, look for Adam Peters to target one of these other tight ends in free agency. They've drafted a tight end in the last two drafts, so it's unlikely that Peters will look there again this year unless someone really stands out at the NFL Combine.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Could David Njoku be an option in free agency?