Settle left the Commanders looking for more opportunity back in 2022. He was a key piece of the rotation at defensive line, but the team had four first-round picks up front, including Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. He spent two seasons with the Buffalo Bills and another two with the Houston Texans, where he was finally part of a starting lineup with 23 starts in 29 games. It was his most successful stretch since the 2019-20 season with Washington, as he recorded six sacks with 46 tackles.
Opportunity is calling Settle’s name again, only this time it’s back where he began his NFL career. The Commanders had one of the league’s worst defenses in 2025, particularly against the run. They ranked 30th in yards allowed per game, 27th in yards per attempt and 26th in rushing first downs allowed per game. Like the end of the 2024 season, it remains one of the Commanders’ top priorities to shore up their defensive front, as general manager Adam Peters said he wants the team to get younger and faster across the board on that side of the ball.
Settle might not be faster, but he’s certainly younger — he’s still only 28 despite having eight years of experience — and was one of the better run stoppers on the market this offseason. He helped the Texans rank sixth in run-stop win rate last year, and he’s coming off his highest-graded season, according to Pro Football Focus.
And this time around with Washington, he expects to be a bigger part of the team’s plans.
“I’m coming to control the middle of the field,” Settle said. “I think I’m gonna be used in a really good way, and I’m gonna be used definitely to help the defense, just being able to penetrate and do what I’ve been doing in the past in my career.”