Commanders, Laremy Tunsil Likely To Discuss Extension In Offseason

The Tunsil pickup was supposed to increase the Commanders’ chances of contending again this year. This will instead go down as a lost season for Washington, which is 3-10 and out of playoff contention.

The Commanders haven’t been able to overcome a slew of injuries, including to quarterback Jayden Daniels. After winning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2024, multiple ailments have limited Daniels to seven games this season. Backup Marcus Mariota will fill in for Daniels again in Week 15.

Although this has been a nightmare campaign for the Commanders, Tunsil has delivered in his first season with the franchise. Currently on track for the third 17-start season of his career, the 31-year-old ranks as Pro Football Focus’ eighth-best offensive tackle. He has earned the site’s third-highest pass blocking grade among qualifying OTs. While Tunsil took a league-worst 17 accepted penalties last season, that number has plummeted to five this year, Tashan Reed of the Washington Post notes.

Tunsil is slated to return to Washington next season to close out the three-year, $75MM extension he signed with Houston in 2023. He and Commanders general manager Adam Peters will “almost certainly” discuss a new deal in the offseason, Reed reports. Despite a disappointing season, Tunsil likes the culture Peters and head coach Dan Quinn have built, per Reed.

“I want to play for DQ as long as I can,” Tunsil told Reed. “He’s become one of my favorite coaches that I had in the league.”

At $25MM per year, Tunsil became the league’s highest-paid left tackle on an annual basis when he inked his current contract. He’s now fifth in that category. The Chargers’ Rashawn Slater leads the way at $28.5MM. The Buccaneers’ Tristan Wirfs ($28.1MM), the 49ers’ Trent Williams ($27.56MM), and the Vikings’ Christian Darrisaw ($26MM) round out the group ahead of Tunsil. With the exception of Williams, who landed his current deal at the age of 36, all of those players inked their extensions while in their mid-20s.

Even though Tunsil’s on the wrong side of 30, his performance suggests he deserves to remain among the league’s highest annual earners at his position. The Commanders may be impressed enough to lock him up to a new multiyear arrangement in the coming months.