The Washington Commanders have given offensive guard Sam Cosmi a multi-year contract extension. Details of the extension were not disclosed.
Cosmi, a second-round pick out of Texas by Washington in 2021, has been a mainstay of the team's offensive line over the past three seasons. He has played in 40 games with 32 starts, including all 17 in 2023.
"This is a great day for the Washington Commanders. We're excited to have reached an agreement on a contract extension with Sam Cosmi. Sam has bought into the vision that DQ and I have had for this team since day one," said General Manager Adam Peters. "He is a pillar of our offensive line and we believe that Sam's best playing days are ahead. Sam is a great leader and teammate and we're excited that he will be a member of our team for years to come. I want to thank Sam's representatives Ryan Tollner, Chase Callahan and Richard Buffum for their professionalism and partnership in getting this deal done. I'd also like to thank Brandon Sosna and Rob Rogers for their tireless work in getting this extension completed. It was impressive to see both sides work so well together. On behalf of the entire Commanders organization, I'd like to congratulate Sam, his wife Blair, and their daughter Clara on this special day."
Cosmi played right tackle for his first two seasons before switching to guard ahead of the 2023 campaign. Cosmi had never played guard in his career, but the switch ended up working out for the former Longhorn. He allowed just one sack and four hits on 1,103 offensive snaps played last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
As for how he stacked up compared to guards around the league, PFF ranked Cosmi fourth in his position in overall offensive grade (80.6). He was at his best as a run-blocker with a sixth-best 80.9 grade in the category, but PFF also ranked him 11th in pass-blocking with a grade of 74.
"Sam Cosmi has shown really consistent play," head coach Dan Quinn said during training camp. "You would've thought he'd been a guard for a really long time and in fact he wasn't, from moving from tackle to guard. I would say his ability to stay square, to pull. He's an athlete that's inside. He's somebody that has impressed me by the size of him, his movement to go."
Like several positions on the Commanders' roster this offseason, the offensive line was one that experienced several changes. General manager Adam Peters and Quinn brought in three new starters to the group, but Cosmi was one of just two Day 1 starters from last season that the team kept around.
Cosmi said he didn't feel any urgency to prove himself to the new regime. Last season was a chance to show his identity as a player, and all he wanted to do this offseason was let his skill set and performance do the talking for him. It didn't take long for the staff to take notice of him.
"He doesn't turn, doesn't give up the edges," Quinn said. "And then I think for the size of him, his initial quickness off the ball, so he just seems ideally suited at guard. I thought that was the right move to put him to there, and he's really hitting his strides."
Cosmi's goals for his fourth season are simple: he feels like he is "one of the best in this league," and he wants to keep proving that.
"I'm going to be dirty, I'm going to be nasty," Cosmi said. "I'm not going to take, excuse my language, [expletive] from anybody. So, that's what I'm going to do every time I step on that field, and that's the type of player I'm going to be."
