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The Commanders have signed All-Pro punter Tress Way to a one-year contract extension
The Washington Commanders have a very important offseason ahead of them. After making it all the way to the NFC Championship Game in 2024, the Commanders failed to even qualify for the playoffs this year. While injuries played a big role in Washington’s struggles, it’s clear that the team has some work to do in order to prevent something similar from happening next year.
Head coach Dan Quinn has been busy when it comes to revamping his coaching staff, but that’s only step one on what is a loaded to-do list this offseason. Ultimately, the most important thing the Commanders must do over the next few months involves upgrading their roster. Of course, it’s also going to be crucial for the team to hold onto some of its key players, which led to some big news regarding All-Pro punter Tress Way being announced on Tuesday.
Commanders Sign Tress Way to One-Year Contract Extension
Way is a 12-year NFL veteran who has spent his entire career with Washington, and during that time, he’s emerged as one of the most consistent punters in the league. A three-time Pro Bowler who also earned an All-Pro Second Team selection in 2019, Way is a key piece of the Commanders’ special teams unit.
In his age-35 season this year, Way found his way back to the Pro Bowl for the third time in his career. Way punted 56 times, with his boots averaging 47.3 yards, but perhaps more importantly, he pinned Washington’s opponents inside their own 20-yard line on 51.8% of his punts, which is the second-highest mark of his career.
Entering the offseason, Way was set for free agency, but it simply seemed like a matter of whether or not he wanted to keep on playing, rather than a question of whether he’d return to the Commanders. Sure enough, Way will be returning to Washington for at least one more season, as Washington revealed that it had signed him to a one-year contract extension in a post on social media.
“Commanders signed three-time Pro-Bowl punter Tress Way to a one-year contract extension,” Adam Schefter of ESPN reported in a post on X.
Commanders Make First Big Personnel Move This Offseason
GettyThe Commanders have signed All-Pro punter Tress Way to a one-year contract extension
Way is getting up there in age, but he has shown no signs of slowing down to this point, so until he does, or until he decides to stop playing, the Commanders likely will do what it takes to keep him as their punter. The financials of the deal weren’t immediately revealed, but chances are this isn’t costing Washington much money.
Signing Way to a new contract is a necessary piece of business, but it’s safe to say that the front office has some bigger fish to fry now that this is in the books. Finding a way to give star quarterback Jayden Daniels some more help on both offense and defense is the big goal, so while extending Way is nice, his presence likely won’t determine how Washington fares in the 2026 campaign.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is a Breaking News Writer at Heavy. In addition to writing for Heavy, Owen works as a Content Producer for More Views Media. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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