Charles Leno. Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Former Pro Bowl OL Charles Leno officially retires from football on anniversary of daughter's death

Originally posted on Pro Football Rumors
By Connor Byrne | Last updated Oct 14, 2025 6:27 PM ET

After 10 seasons in the NFL, offensive tackle Charles Leno is hanging up his cleats. In an Instagram post that’s worth reading in full, Leno announced his retirement on Wednesday, exactly two years after he and his wife lost their daughter on Oct. 14, 2023.

"On October 14, 2023, my wife Jennifer and I experienced the most unimaginable heartbreak. We lost our precious daughter, Paitynn—our fourth baby girl. That day changed everything for me.

"On that October day in 2023, something in he shifted," Leno wrote on Instagram. "I knew then that I was done with football. Not physically but mentally and emotionally. My priority, my passion, my purpose had changed. My heart now belongs fully to my family. And I knew that one day, when the time was right, I'd make it official."

Leno entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick from Boise State in 2014 and went on to enjoy a quality career. He spent his first seven seasons in Chicago, where he started in 94 of 102 regular-season appearances. Leno earned the lone Pro Bowl nod of his career with the Bears in 2018.

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A post shared by Charles Leno Jr. (@charleslenojr72)

While Leno inked a four-year, $38MM extension with the Bears in 2017, he didn’t see the whole deal through. Chicago released Leno in a cap-shedding move in May 2021. That came after Leno started 93 consecutive games at left tackle with the team.

After his time with the Bears ended, Leno landed in Washington on a one-year, $5M pact. The club was so impressed with Leno’s work during a 17-start 2021 campaign that it re-signed him to a three-year, $37.5M deal. Leno notched another 17-start season in 2022, but a calf injury limited him to 13 games (all starts) in 2023. With Leno set to undergo hip surgery in 2024, the Commanders released him after a 47-start tenure. He didn’t catch on anywhere else after that.

Leno’s career will officially end with 149 regular-season games, 141 starts, and over $61M in career earnings. He also received recognition for his off-field work, earning a Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination, among other accolades.

This article first appeared on Pro Football Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

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