On Monday, former South Carolina football star Javon Kinlaw agreed to a big free agent contract with the NFL’s Washington Commanders. According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport’s reporting, Kinlaw will make $45 Million over three seasons in Washington. The contract moves Kinlaw into the NFL’s top-20 highest-paid defensive tackles both in terms of total dollars and annual value.

The big defensive tackle is moving from the New York Jets to the Commanders after the Jets let him reach free agency without a new deal. He spent just one season in New York after four years with the San Francisco 49ers.

With the Commanders, Kinlaw will reunite with fellow former Gamecocks star Deebo Samuel. The former 49ers squadmates also played together for two seasons at South Carolina in 2017 and 2018. The ‘9ers traded Samuel to Washington at the beginning of the month.

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As a pro, Kinlaw’s career has been marred by injuries. However, when healthy, he has flashed some big-time ability. The Commanders clearly believe he can show that again in Washington. His two healthiest–and, not coincidentally, his best–seasons came in 2023 and 2024. He logged eight sacks combined in those years and was a disruptive force on the interior of the defensive lines in San Francisco and New York.

During his South Carolina football playing days, Kinlaw was an All-American and All-SEC performer. His numbers weren’t gaudy in college, but that was because opposing teams had to scheme everything away from him. As one of the most dominant defensive tackles in program history, he earned a first-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. No other USC defensive tackle ever has gone that high in the draft.