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The Washington Commanders completed their regular season Sunday, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 24-17 to finish the season 5-12. Several starters missed Sunday's game for the Commanders, including five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil.
During Sunday's game, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network broke some news: the Seattle Seahawks, who clinched the NFC West and NFC's No. 1 overall seed on Saturday night, had agreed to a four-year extension with left tackle Charles Cross. The numbers: 4 years, $104.4 million — $26.1 million average per year, with $40.5 million due to Cross in year one of the deal. Rapoport also said that Cross would receive $75 million in guaranteed money.
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Tunsil was paying attention and shared the following message on his Instagram.
Not only did Tunsil share the news on Instagram, but he also reposted Rapoport's message on X.
This is notable because Tunsil has one year remaining on his contract and has made it clear he wants a new deal.
"Whatever happens, happens,” Tunsil told Tashan Reed of The Washington Post last month. "Of course, I want to be paid. Of course, I want to stay with this organization.......When we get to the offseason, we can handle it."
Tunsil has earned a new contract. When the Commanders acquired him in March from the Houston Texans, he had two years remaining on a contract extension he signed in 2023. However, there were no guarantees remaining.
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Tunsil started the first 14 games of the season for Washington, and he was outstanding. Coaches and teammates praised him for his leadership and on-field play. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said he was surprised at how good a run blocker Tunsil was. Tunsil also served as a mentor for first-round tackle Josh Conerly Jr.
However, an oblique injury in Week 15 led the Commanders to sideline him for the remainder of the season.
Tunsil's intentions are clear: he wants to be paid. The good news is that Washington has plenty of cap space and a young quarterback to protect. Tunsil is in a unique position, having already signed two extensions since entering the NFL back in 2016. He's reset the market twice. It's easy to forget that Tunsil is still only 31 and plans to keep playing, much like former Washington tackle Trent Williams.
How much will Tunsil receive? Cross is 25, so Washington may not want to pay Tunsil a similar amount. However, Tunsil reposting those messages makes it clear: negotiations will begin at Cross's numbers.
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The Commanders want to keep Tunsil, and he wants to stay. Both sides should be motivated enough to get this done and not allow it to linger into the season as it did with Terry McLaurin in 2025.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Laremy Tunsil looking to get paid again
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