Washington Commanders left tackle Charles Leno Jr. is in his 10th NFL season — third with Washington. A former seventh-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft, Leno has played 100% of his team’s offensive snaps in seven of his 10 seasons.
Leno has played a lot of football. Unfortunately for him, outside of one season, he’s been on some bad or average teams in Chicago and Washington.
He’s also seen plenty of bad and average quarterback play. During his three seasons with the Commanders, Leno has blocked for six different quarterbacks.
This season has been disappointing for Washington, with the Commanders being much worse than many believed, partly due to unforeseen defensive struggles.
However, there has been one bright spot, something Leno was happy to point out, per Sam Fortier of The Washington Post.
“There is some regression, yes,” Leno said after Washington’s Thanksgiving Day loss to the Cowboys. “In some ways, yes. But I have seen improvement. Like, I look across, and I see that guy over there (Sam Howell)……….That’s a f—–g huge improvement. This is a brand-new offense, too. You know what I’m saying? This is our first year in this, so there’s going to be ups and downs.”
Leno is correct in everything he said. He’s not making excuses. Washington isn’t 4-8 because of its offense. Has the offense been perfect? Not even close. The Commanders’ struggles against the Giants are concerning. There was also the Buffalo debacle. However, for the most part, Washington’s offense has kept the team in games partly because of its second-year quarterback.
Leno understands this is a bottom-line business, and the Commanders haven’t won enough. But the veteran left tackle is a big believer in his quarterback. If you want proof of how this team feels about Howell, watch Howell’s touchdown run vs. the Giants in Week 11. Leno, among others, was ready to fight when the Giants hit Howell out of bounds.
Those are the little things that matter inside the locker room.