Commanders Coach Ron Rivera Explains Charles Leno Jr.'s OTA Absence

Charles Leno Jr. was one of three veterans not in attendance for the first part of Washington Commanders OTA's.

Jeremy Brener | May 30, 2023

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are nearly coming out in full force at OTA's for what should be a crucial season in the nation's capital.

All but three players showed up to last week's OTA's ready to get to work and improve ahead of training camp this summer. Among the veterans absent was offensive tackle Charles Leno Jr.

Leno, 31, is entering his 10th NFL campaign and third with Washington, part of why head coach Ron Rivera defended his absence from the voluntary practices.

"Charles has been in the system and I think that's probably part of why he's not here," Rivera said. "He knows the system. He was in it in Chicago and so a lot of stuff that they did the first week that he was here was pretty much the stuff that he's been involved with."

Leno has started every game at left tackle for Washington in each of the past two seasons, but there is competition for his job from a number of potential candidates. Earlier this offseason, the team signed tackle Andrew Wylie and drafted Braeden Daniels in the fourth round. On top of that, Sam Cosmi could play either guard or tackle.

The team also signed Nick Gates and drafted Ricky Stromberg, two guys that project to play inside, but could shake up the rest of the offensive line's configuration.

Leno should be the starter protecting Sam Howell's blindside in 2023, but with several new pieces coming in and his three-year, $37 million extension kicking in, the veteran may have some pressure to perform and defend his place in the Commanders' plans on the offensive line.

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Published May 30, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.