While it might seem cold to look at it this way, the biggest motivation for newly acquired Washington Commanders left offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil in 2025 might be a financial one.
Tunsil, who was traded to the Commanders from the Houston Texans on March 10, has 2 years remaining on the 3-year, $75 million contract extension he signed in March 2023 and with one more elite season protecting quarterback Jayden Daniels’ blind side could find himself receiving one last, lucrative contract extension at 31 years old.
Tunsil is already one of the NFL’s highest paid offensive tackles of all time and will have approximately $163 million in career earnings when his current deal ends. He’s also sent a clear message on how he views the opportunity of playing with the NFL’s most exciting young quarterback in Daniels, the 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
One more contract extension for Tunsil could see his career earnings past the $200 million mark.
“I can make a huge impact, pass protector, damn good run blocker,” Tunsil told Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith. “I can’t wait to block for Jayden Daniels. He’s a baller. Just from seeing him on TV and on film too, and it seems like he’s a better dude.”
Tunsil has been one of the NFL’s dominant offensive tackles since he was selected in the first round (No. 13 overall) by the Miami Dolphins in the 2016 NFL draft and is a 5-time Pro Bowler.
Commanders’ Offseason Moves Focused on Super Bowl
Daniels was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft after winning the 2023 Heisman Trophy at LSU and delivered one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history.
Daniels led his team to a 12-5 regular season record and the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991 and became one of the NFL’s most popular players in the process.
“We knew it was Jayden for a while and it would’ve taken a lot for it to not be Jayden personally, you know, or just in reality,” Washington general manager Adam Peters said after drafting Daniels in April 2024. “I mean, and it was the building, the whole building was in. I would say unanimous on (Daniels) and it’s easy to see why.”
The Commanders have added several offensive weapons in the offseason that could propel them into the Super Bowl, including trades for Tunsil and San Francisco 49ers NFL All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
Tunsil Remembered For Bizarre NFL Draft Moment
Despite his stellar career, Tunsil is perhaps most remembered for one of the most bizarre moments in NFL draft history.
Projected by some as a possible No. 1 overall selection, Tunsil saw his draft stock plummet just minutes before the start of the draft when a video of him smoking marijuana out of a gas mask attached to a bong was posted to his Twitter account. That was followed by screenshots posted to Tunsil’s Instagram account that showed texts from Tunsil to the Ole Miss athletic director requesting money for rent and money for Tunsil’s mother’s electric bill.
Tunsil later said both accounts had been hacked and the videos and screenshots were posted by his stepfather. Tunsil later sold his “Gas Mask Video” as an NFT, donating part of the money to cannabis criminal justice reform.
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