Dak Prescott got to know Jer'Zhan Newton well during the Washington Commanders' Christmas Day game against the Dallas Cowboys. The former second-round pick sacked Prescott three times and racked up five hits on the quarterback.
It was the kind of performance the Commanders and Newton had been waiting on for two seasons.
"That's a big confidence boost, for sure," Newton said on the most recent episode of the "Get Loud" podcast.
The Commanders are hoping there are more games like that in store for Newton. The former Illinois defensive tackle dealt with injuries throughout his first two seasons, which hampered his availability and performance. But Newton said he's the healthiest he has been since he joined the NFL, and he's ready to wreak more havoc in opposing backfields.
"I got my body right," Newton said. "I've been training all offseason back in Florida ... I'm just ready to put it all on display."
The Commanders drafted Newton -- a projected first-round pick -- in the second round of the 2024 draft as what they thought was a luxury selection with Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen already manning the interior up front. There have been flashes of the talent he showed at Illinois, where he was a consensus All-American and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, but those moments have been sporadic rather than consistent.
Most of that has to do with Newton's lower body injuries. He had surgery to fix Jones fractures in both his feet, which forced him to miss training camp heading into his rookie season. He suffered a high ankle sprain against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8 last season, which hampered his production.
Newton feels like his Christmas Day game last season, when he recorded nine tackles on 56 defensive snaps, is a sign of better things to come.
"I've had that feeling since Christmas. I've always been that way, though. I've always been confident in myself, but definitely after that game, I feel like nobody can mess with me."
Newton feels like the Commanders' new defensive scheme, spearheaded by coordinator Daronte Jones, and the new personnel up front are going to help him, too. Jones comes from a scheme coached by Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, which is known for having aggressive fronts, and the Commanders have supplied him with players like Odafe Oweh, K'Lavon Chaisson and Charles Omenihu. Those players, combined with Newton and the other defensive players already on the roster, have made a group that was thin last season into one of the deepest on the team.
Newton believes the depth and aggressive mindset is going to help him and his teammates thrive.
"We push each other every day," Newton said. "I just feel something brewing."
Newton's spot in the rotation isn't clear yet, but after a long runway littered with injuries over the last two seasons, he's ready for a more consistent year in 2026. Head coach Dan Quinn said the game started to slow down for Newton near the end of the 2025 season, and if that carries over into 2026, perhaps we should expect him to wreak more havoc.
"Whenever I catch fire, it's hard to cool me off," Newton said.
