Sam Cosmi Reflects on $74M Extension with Commanders

Washington Commanders sign Sam Cosmi to a $74M extension, securing him for the long term.

Washington Commanders guard Sam Cosmi. / Instagram/samcosmi

Sam Cosmi is set to be wearing a Washington Commanders for quite some time, as the franchise ensure it's best offensive lineman will remain in town for years to come.

On Wednesday, the team and Cosmi came to an agreement on a four-year, $74 million contract extension just ahead of the regular season kicking off. Over $45 million of his contract will be guaranteed.

With the Commanders ushering in a new era and having a potential franchise quarterback in No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels, securing high-level talents around him gives the team the best chance to compete long-term. Signing Cosmi to an extension was the right move because of such.

READ MORE: Luke McCaffrey Joins Commanders' First Team; Father Ed Talks Future

Washington Commanders guard Sam Cosmi. / Instagram/samcosmi

“I feel super blessed. First and foremost, I just want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for just
blessing me and giving me and my family this blessing. Without him, none of this would be possible,
so, I want to just first and foremost say that," Cosmi said. "And then, my family, my parents. They came from, I'm first generation here. This is a huge thing, just for me and my family to have this opportunity to work towards this. And they came to this country with just the backpack and the shirts on the back. So, to do something like this and for them to give me this opportunity is huge."

Not only is Cosmi thankful to have gotten the extension done, but it's something that's been on his mind for quite some time now. The 25-year-old has made 32 starts and 40 appearances since being a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

“We talked early on, I think sometime in February. And we didn't get the ball rolling, there's a lot of stuff they had to work on here," Cosmi explained. "So, we didn't get the ball rolling until three weeks ago or something like that. So, I'm happy it's done. I'm happy, I just wanted to focus on beating Tampa Bay and get this out of the back of my head and go out there and play free. Like I said, a huge blessing to be able to do that now. Today's practice was really good. So, to get that weight lifted off my shoulders.”

With Washington bringing in a new era, as mentioned, led by head coach Dan Quinn -- Cosmi is set to be an integral piece of the offensive line. Commanders general manager Adam Peters has spoken on Cosmi's willingness to buy into the new vision being brought to the franchise, and it's ultimately paying off.

While it's certainly a relief for Cosmi to have inked the deal and put the situation behind him -- it wasn't something particularly lingering over his head or anything.

“No, not really," Cosmi said of the extension lingering over his head. "I'm a big believer in coming to work and working hard, and all the rest will sort itself out. So, if I don't really think about this stuff, I don't have a lot of things to stress me out that don't need my time to worry about. I was able to do that, put together a really good training camp, felt great coming out of it, and feel really good going into the season. So, I'm just excited for that."

The Texans product is switching from the offensive tackle to the offensive guard position, which has been just another trial for him this offseason. He and the coaching staff are both under the belief that this will ultimately maximize his impact and raise his ceiling as a player.

“I had to essentially learn a new position. I think the great part about this is I just feel like my trajectory's just going [up]," Cosmi explained. "I feel way more comfortable this year. You could see the tape from last year as each game progressed, I felt like I was more and more fitting that role. And I had a mentality of being one of the best guards in the league every time I stepped on the field, practice, walk through on the game, during the game. So, that mentality will not change."

New contract, new position, yet the mission remains the same for Cosmi. He wants to be one of the best guards in the league while keeping Daniels' jersey and the pocket clean as Washington looks to revitalize its offense and turn the franchise around.

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READ MORE: Commanders Preparing for Tough Test Against Buccaneers in Week 1

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