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.
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.
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, $5MM 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, $37.5MM 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 $61MM in career earnings. He also received recognition for his off-field work, earning a Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination, among other accolades.