Report: LT Charles Leno signs extension to stay in Washington 3 more years

a little less pressure to draft for need early

NFL Network reporter Mike Garafolo has reported that Washington’s 2021 starting left tackle, Charles Leno, has signed a 3-year extension to stay with the team. Garafolo reports that the extension is worth $37.5m.

The average annual value of $12.5m per year would rank Leno 16th in the NFL per Over the Cap, behind the Saints’ Terron Armstead and ahead of the Cowboys’ Tyron Smith.

Leno is 30 years old and an 8-year NFL veteran who was drafted by the Bears, and who played for them from 2014-2020. He was released this past offseason after the Bears drafted Teven Jenkins in the second round. The move did not pay off well for Chicago; the team has suffered a great deal of disruption at the position and eventually had to sign 39-year-old Jason Peters as a street free agent just prior to the season in an effort to bring some stability to their situation.

Chicago’s loss seems to have been Washington’s gain. Leno has played well at the position, anchoring the left side along with LG Ereck Flowers, but the veteran left tackle has also been active in the community, and both he and his wife are active on Twitter, frequently engaging with Washington fans.

Leno’s extension adds some continuity and extended stability to Washington’s offensive line, which, despite numerous injuries at center, right guard and right tackle, has played well for the most part in 2021.