Commanders GM makes public declaration regarding star's contract

Adam Peters explicitly stated his desire to extend Laremy Tunsil "sooner rather than later," calling him potentially the best left tackle in the NFL.

Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

ASHBURN, Va. – When it comes to negotiating new contracts with players, Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters has never really been shy about publicly stating he wants to get a deal done with one of them, even though the public perception is that doing so hurts his leverage.

Some players, however, are just not worth being coy about. So when Peters repeatedly said he and the Commanders wanted to get a new deal done with receiver Terry McLaurin last offseason, it was perceived that it would be completed faster than it was.

Entering this offseason, McLaurin is under contract, allowing Washington to turn its focus to another key player at a critical position, left tackle Laremy Tunsil.

Jan 28, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters talks with Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan during Senior Bowl practice for the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

'Sooner rather than later'

"In terms of the evaluation, I think, and his impact on our team, I thought it was really outstanding both on the field and in the locker room,” Peters said of Tunsil at the end of the season. "I think what I can say is we definitely want to get something done with him, and sooner rather than later."

There are those words. The ones that would indicate that Peters certainly intends to have a new deal in place before training camp, and hopefully before the team’s mandatory minicamp during the summer.

With a new offensive line coach coming in after the team parted ways with Bobby Johnson this week, having Tunsil around to get in sync with his new choreographer would be valuable.

Negotiating without leverage

So, hearing Peters gush about his status as one of the best in the league shouldn’t serve as giving leverage to Tunsil (who represents himself along with a team of advisors), but more so as just being up front at the start of negotiations.

"On the field, I thought, you know, he was one of the better left tackles, if not the best in the league,” Peters said. "He didn't get recognition for the Pro Bowl, which I was disappointed in, but if you look at the metrics, he did a great job."

"He's a great leader, and he is not really up front about it... He is an outstanding mentor to the other offensive linemen,” Peters continued. "It's been really, really awesome to get to know him and to see how he goes about his business. Incredibly hard worker."

Sep 28, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Washington Commanders offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil (78) on the field during a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

'Get paid, not played'

Tunsil recently shared a post conveying his attitude is to ‘get paid, not played,’ and Peters appears to be ready to share the sentiment. Coach Kliff Kingsbury, then the Commanders’ offensive coordinator, was asked about Tunsil’s impact during the 2025 NFL season, and didn’t hide his appreciation for the veteran himself, saying, “The play speaks for itself. It'd be hard to find one that's played better at that position this season... So he's going to get a lot of money."

However, just as we saw in the McLaurin deal, if Tunsil wants more than the general manager is willing to allocate to his new deal, the desire to get a contract done quickly will not outweigh the need to spend responsibly.

From our experience, Tunsil appreciates real conversation and people who are up front and direct. We expect he’ll get that from Peters and return it in kind. The result, we hope, is a much less protracted negotiation, with Tunsilpresent for as much of the offseason program as possible in 2026.

READ MORE: Commanders veteran running back says his goodbye

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