Feb. 22, 2026, 5:33 a.m. ET

There is a lot of talk about how much the Washington Commanders need defensive players. That’s true. Washington needs help almost everywhere on defense. There are fewer needs on offense. Yet, the Commanders do need to give quarterback Jayden Daniels some additional help, particularly at wide receiver opposite Terry McLaurin and a receiving tight end to replace Zach Ertz.

There should be several quality options at tight end during free agency. However, there are fewer high-end options at receiver. The Cowboys will apply the franchise tag on George Pickens, and someone is going to pay Alec Pierce more money than his production has warranted right now.

There are other quality options, such as Rashid Shaheed, but the Seahawks would probably like to retain the speedster after trading for him.

If Washington is looking for someone to stretch the field, Minnesota Vikings receiver Jalen Nailor is a free agent. The 26-year-old was a sixth-round pick out of Michigan State in the 2022 NFL Draft and has 69 receptions for 1,066 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in his four seasons. If that lack of production scares you, Nailor didn’t play a lot as a receiver during his first two seasons, but he has played more in the past two seasons, and 10 of his 11 touchdowns came in 2024 and 2025.

He also has some connections to Washington. New offensive coordinator David Blough was a practice squad quarterback for the Vikings during Nailor’s 2022 rookie season. New defensive coordinator Daronte Jones was with the Vikings for all four of Nailor’s NFL seasons. If Washington pursues Nailor, that’s a good indication that the two new coordinators have vouched for him.

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Nailor probably shouldn’t be signed to be the No. 2 receiver, though. He profiles more as a No. 3 receiver. He’s not the biggest target (5-foot-11, 200 pounds), but he’s not small, either. Washington can re-sign Treylon Burks to add some size to the wide receiver room. The Commanders are also expected to sign a pass-catching tight end, so Nailor could fill a specific field-stretching role for Washington.

The best news about Nailor is that he won’t break the bank. Nailor is projected to earn a one-year contract worth $4.7 million, per Spotrac. Even if Nailor lands more than that, it will not be significantly more. That would allow the Commanders to sign other players, but still add juice to their receivers room.

Fans want the top names, such as Pickens or Pierce, but they should be more realistic. The Commanders will spend, but they need a lot. Nailor could be a quality addition that wouldn’t prevent them from adding another quality receiver, too, perhaps even re-signing Deebo Samuel, who will likely command at least $15 million.

Even better, Nailor’s nickname is “Speedy.”