The Washington Commanders have reportedly signed Odafe Oweh, one of the top free agent pass rushers this offseason
The Washington Commanders now have their pass rusher.
Edge rusher Odafe Owen is now headed to the Washington Commanders, per multiple reports, after agreeing to a four year deal worth $100 million and with $68 million guaranteed, addressing a key need for general manager Adam Peters and the front office.
Oweh was ranked the sixth-best player in free agency by ESPN including the third-best edge rusher behind veteran Trey Hendrickson and Jaelan Phillips. There was intrigue that Oweh could eventually return to Baltimore this offseason after former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter was named the team's next head coach, but instead, he heads back to the DMV.
Oweh is coming off a dominant second half of the season after being traded to the Los Angeles Chargers back in early October, posting 7.5 sacks in 12 games. He also added eight tackles for loss and 28 total tackles in what proved to be a bounce back season for the former first round pick.
"We made a trade and picked him up. We, at the time, needed an edge rusher, and I know [Chargers general manager] Joe [Hortiz] and [executive vice president and general manager] Eric [DeCosta] obviously worked out the trade," former Chargers and current Ravens head coach Jesse Minter said of Oweh. "I think we just created an environment for him where he played with a lot of confidence. We simplified some things that we were asking him to do. We allowed him, at times, to have a little more freedom as a pass rusher."
A former Penn State product who became a first round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Oweh had a slow start to his NFL career where he appeared in all but six of the Ravens' first 51 regular season games during the first three years of his NFL career, amassing 13 sacks, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 99 total tackles as he remained entrenched in the rotation. He then posted a career season where he totaled ten sacks and 39 total tackles in 2024, but another slow start in 2025 proved to be the nail in the coffin after being held without a sack and registering ten total tackles through the first five games of the season.
Now entering the offseason with production, Oweh will look to continue exactly that as the former standout pass rusher out of the Blair Academy (NJ) returns to the DMV for the second time in his professional career.
Oweh's signing becomes the latest move for Washington on day one of the legal tampering window after also signing former Detroit Lions cornerback Amik Robertson, agreeing to re-sign quarterback Marcus Mariota as the backup for the third consecutive season while also finalizing a two year contract extension with star left tackle Laremy Tunsil, ending an offseason saga that has dragged over the last two months.