Things look a bit different around the Washington Commanders' facility compared to the last time Tim Settle roamed the halls.
For one, the team isn't called "The Washington Football Team" anymore; they became the Commanders the same year as Settle's contract expired. Josh Harris is now the team's Managing Partner, and he has since made heavy investments to give the building a much-needed facelift, from upgrading the locker room to overhauling the weight room and providing the players with a lounge.
There's also a different standard surrounding the franchise since advancing to the NFC Championship two years ago. Settle is looking to help the team meet those expectations in his second stint with the team.
"My goal is to disrupt the game and help people disrupt the game," Settle said. "My key thing is to be destructive here."
Settle left the Commanders looking for more opportunity back in 2022. He was a key piece of the rotation at defensive line, but the team had four first-round picks up front, including Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. He spent two seasons with the Buffalo Bills and another two with the Houston Texans, where he was finally part of a starting lineup with 23 starts in 29 games. It was his most successful stretch since the 2019-20 season with Washington, as he recorded six sacks with 46 tackles.
Opportunity is calling Settle's name again, only this time it's back where he began his NFL career. The Commanders had one of the league's worst defenses in 2025, particularly against the run. They ranked 30th in yards allowed per game, 27th in yards per attempt and 26th in rushing first downs allowed per game. Like the end of the 2024 season, it remains one of the Commanders' top priorities to shore up their defensive front, as general manager Adam Peters said he wants the team to get younger and faster across the board on that side of the ball.
Settle might not be faster, but he's certainly younger -- he's still only 28 despite having eight years of experience -- and was one of the better run stoppers on the market this offseason. He helped the Texans rank sixth in run-stop win rate last year, and he's coming off his highest-graded season, according to Pro Football Focus.
And this time around with Washington, he expects to be a bigger part of the team's plans.
"I'm coming to control the middle of the field," Settle said. "I think I'm gonna be used in a really good way, and I'm gonna be used definitely to help the defense, just being able to penetrate and do what I've been doing in the past in my career."
Settle can help improve another area that gave the Commanders' defense trouble last year: put pressure on quarterbacks. Settle has recorded a pass rush grade of at least 70 in three of the last six years, according to PFF, including a career-high 78 last season. He generated 43 pressures in 2024, which ranked 10th among AFC interior defensive linemen and just two fewer than Tennessee Titans All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons.
It's not necessarily the role Settle majors in, but he's willing to help wherever he can.
"I'm interchangeable," Settle said. "However they want to use me, I'm here, [whether] that's to play the nose, to play the three-technique."
Settle watched the team from afar as they went through several changes over the last four seasons. He spent the first half of his career wearing the burgundy and gold, so he knows how long the franchise has been waiting for a new wave of success. The Commanders got a taste of it in 2024, and now they're trying to recapture it in the third season of Dan Quinn's tenure.
Settle is eager to help them do that... with his own flair.
"You're gonna hear me before you see me," Settle said. "I'm just all energy. I feel like if you can bring good energy to your work environment, you can have good results."
