Commanders' Laremy Tunsil does this better than almost anyone

New Washington Commanders left tackle Laremy Tunsil is one of the best in the NFL at his position. Tunsil was shockingly traded from the Houston Texans to the Commanders just before the start of free agency in March. It was shocking because not only was Tunsil still a phenomenal player at a premium position, but also because no one knew he was available.

Washington sent multiple draft picks to the Texans for Tunsil, but none were in the first round. In return, the Commanders improved a significant weakness, adding a top-notch left tackle to protect franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels. Washington also gets Tunsil at an affordable rate. He has two years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $21.3 million in each of the next two seasons. Considering how prices have soared, Tunsil is likely to be in line for a new contract.

When it comes to signing contracts, Tunsil has done well for himself. A first-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft, Tunsil spent his first three seasons with the Miami Dolphins before he was traded to Houston for a haul of draft picks. Tunsil signed his first NFL extension in 2020, which, at the time, made him the NFL's highest-paid offensive lineman in terms of average annual value.

Three years later, Tunsil signed another extension. If the Commanders extend Tunsil, which seems likely, it will be his fourth NFL contract. Amazingly, Tunsil is still only 30 years old (31 in August) and continues to play at a high level.

Due to his ability to keep signing lucrative extensions, ESPN's Bill Barnwell named Tunsil to his NFL 'Bag' Hall of Fame. There were seven other players named to his BHOF, including former Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins. Barnwell was clear that none of his eight selections were overpaid. Instead, it was more about the players' ability to continue landing long-term deals.

Here's what he said about Tunsil:

Calling card: Doing it his damn self

One of the few active players who has already done enough to earn consideration for the Bag Hall of Fame, Tunsil deserves extra credit for doing all of the work off the field on his own. He has served as his own agent for each of his negotiations, and frankly, other players should hire him for their own deals. After proving himself to be a very good left tackle, the 30-year-old has been able to parlay one team's desperation into a series of player-friendly contracts. I wouldn't be surprised if another one was on the way.

Tunsil famously fell in the 2016 NFL draft when a leaked video revealed him smoking marijuana out of a gas mask, which likely cost him millions of dollars given his expected landing spot in the top 10 picks. While he went to the Dolphins with the 13th pick, that very specific landing spot paid off in the long run.

Three years later, the Dolphins were preparing to tank for their quarterback of the future. In a matter of weeks, they traded their two young cornerstones in Tunsil and Minkah Fitzpatrick, who went to the Steelers for a first-rounder. As I documented back in 2022, a series of unrelated decisions that started with reports of then-owner Bob McNair likening players to "inmates" and the promotion of coach Bill O'Brien to take over the team's personnel department left the Texans in a vulnerable position.

More from Barnwell on Tunsil:

Tunsil signed one of the best deals I've seen for a player's second contract. His three-year, $66 million extension pushed the top of the offensive line market forward from $18 million per year to an average annual salary of $22 million. Going year-to-year, paying him his fifth-year option and using two franchise tags, would have cost $47 million over three years without any long-term guarantee. Instead, the Texans paid him nearly $58 million over that time frame without many unguaranteed years on the back end to use as leverage.

As he was 25 at the time, the short length of Tunsil's extension ensured that he would get another crack at free agency in the absolute prime of his career. With one year left on his existing deal in the 2023 season and the Texans wanting to protect their new long-term QB in C.J. Stroud, Tunsil negotiated another player-friendly deal. This time, it was a three-year, $75 million extension that practically guaranteed $60 million at the time of signing. And again, he put himself in position to hit free agency at age 32, which is still within the peak time frame for NFL tackles.

After two years, the Texans traded Tunsil to the Commanders for a pair of draft picks, clearly targeting him as a long-term left tackle to protect their own sensational young quarterback in Jayden Daniels. Now, with two years and $42.7 million left on his existing deal, guess what he's in position to do again? He can sign another extension from a team that implicitly committed to him with a trade. It will be his third significant extension by virtue of the fantastic deal he negotiated with the Texans several regimes ago.

By going to the Commanders, Tunsil again finds himself in a good negotiating position. Washington not only wants to protect Daniels, but also gave up multiple draft picks over two years, and certainly doesn't want to do that for a shorter-term rental. Whether it happens sooner or later, expect Washington to sign Tunsil to an extension that will again make him one of the NFL's highest-paid offensive linemen. The Commanders believe Tunsil can play deep into his 30s, much like former Washington tackle Trent Williams has done with the 49ers.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' Laremy Tunsil is a different kind of Hall of Famer