Commanders give DT Jonathan Allen permission to seek trade

Jonathan Allen’s time with the Washington Commanders might be coming to an end.

The standout defensive tackle has received permission to seek a trade, FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz reported Tuesday.

Allen has been one of the Commanders’ top players since the team drafted him in 2017, but he’s become expendable for a few reasons. The two-time Pro Bowler turned 30 in January and has seen his play decline in recent years. There’s also no guaranteed money left on the four-year, $72 million deal that he signed in 2021.

Even though the Commanders are set to have over $80 million in cap space, moving on from Allen would open up $16.47 million more in cap room while they’d only eat $6 million in dead money, per OverTheCap.com. Allen’s $22.47 million cap hit for the 2025 season is the third-highest on the Commanders’ roster.

Washington has also made a pair of large investments in other defensive tackles over the past couple of offseasons. Daron Payne is the highest-paid player on the team, signing a four-year, $90 million extension in 2023. Last offseason, the Commanders selected Jer’Zhan Newton in the second round of the 2024 draft.

Allen appeared in just eight regular-season games in 2024 due to a pec tear, recording three sacks, 19 total tackles and 16 pressures (per Pro Football Focus). After returning late in the season, Allen registered seven pressures in the Commanders’ upset win over the Detroit Lions in the NFC Divisional Round.

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