After a failed stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars, K'Lavon Chaisson has at last lived up to his draft billing. Coming off a breakout season with the New England Patriots, the 20th overall pick in the 2020 draft has signed a new deal with the Washington Commanders.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that K'Lavon Chaisson is signing a one-year contract worth as much as $12 million with the Commanders. Patriots reporter Carlos A. Lopez had previously reported that "Swiper" was going to have a strong market and brought up Washington as a name to watch.
K'Lavon Chaison has come full circle since leaving the Jaguars
K'Lavon Chiasson has now completed his arc, going from a bust in Jacksonville to a productive pass rusher.
A first-round pick in 2020, Chaisson was originally expected to be part of a rotation that included Josh Hines-Allen, Calais Campbell, and Yannick Ngakoue. However, the plan changed once Campbell and Ngakoue were traded just before the start of the season. Couple that with the fact that he switched from playing standup linebacker to lining up on a three-point stance, and it's easy to see why the former LSU Tiger struggled in his rookie season.
Chaisson was the subject of trade talks at the 2021 deadline, but the Jags ended up keeping him around. Nevertheless, he wasn't able to capitalize on the fresh starts he got under Urban Meyer and later Doug Pederson.
By 2023, Chaisson had tumbled down the depth chart, but Jacksonville held onto him because they had nobody else. Once he became a free agent in 2024, though, the Jags didn't make an attempt to re-sign him. The Houston, Texas native then signed with the Carolina Panthers but was cut before the regular season began. He proceeded to join the Las Vegas Raiders, where his career revival began.
Originally a member of the Raiders practice squad, Chaisson was promoted to the active roster, where he posted a personal-best 4.5 sacks, along with the first interception of his career. He then inked a $3 million deal with New England, where he kept making strides, registering 7.5 sacks in the regular season and 3.0 in the postseason.
Had you told someone that Chaisson was going to be a hot commodity in free agency a couple years ago, you would've likely gotten a blank stare. However, he just kept his head down and got to work.
K'Lavon Chaisson could bolstered the Jaguars pass rush
K'Lavon Chaisson struggled with the Jaguars, but the regime that drafted him, and the one afterward, has been long gone. General manager James Gladstone is now calling the shots, and he could've certainly used the veteran pass rusher.
After all, Chaisson would've been a great No. 3 behind Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen. Then again, he may not have been a fit, or perhaps both sides believe they're better off without each other after their first stint together.
Either way, K'Lavon Chaisson has at last managed to get rid of the bust label. If he plays the way he did with the Patriots, the Commanders got a dynamic pass rusher.