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How Chris Thompson has become the Redskins most reliable offensive weapon

By Jacob Camenker

CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 24: Chris Thompson #25 of the Washington Redskins runs the football into the endzone for his second touchdown in the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 24, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - DECEMBER 24: Chris Thompson #25 of the Washington Redskins runs the football into the endzone for his second touchdown in the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 24, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – SEPTEMBER 10: Chris Thompson #25 of the Washington Redskins celebrates his touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter at FedExField on September 10, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – SEPTEMBER 10: Chris Thompson #25 of the Washington Redskins celebrates his touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter at FedExField on September 10, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Thompson doesn’t have to worry about a contract

Sometimes, in contract years, NFL players have the best seasons of their career. They try to prove that they are worth a great deal of money and come out and consistently perform week in and week out. Other times, players press too hard in their contract years and end up making too many mistakes because they are too preoccupied with their new deal.

Thompson doesn’t fall into either of these categories. The reason? Thompson inked a new deal to remain with the Redskins before the season.

Before the season, the Redskins signed Thompson to a two year extension that will keep him with the team through the 2019 season. The deal paid Thompson $3.25 million per year, a deal that is comparable to other solid receiving backs on the market. At the time, I said the following of Thompson’s deal.

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"Thompson is just one of those guys who is easy to root for. He wasn’t expected to be much in the NFL, but he has developed into a strong No. 2 guys and provides value as a return man on special teams. The Redskins love his versatility, and this contract is great for both sides."

That has turned out to be a very true statement. The Redskins got an excellent value on this deal based on the first three weeks alone. It appears that the new deal has taken the pressure off Thompson as he no longer has to worry about anything but playing football. He has long term financial security, and the value of that cannot be underestimated. That could be part of what is leading him to have a career season.

This is really the one off-the-field factor that may be impacting Thompson. Everything else he has done has been on the field, and he truly has been excellent so far.

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The Redskins have to be happy that Thompson is a member of their team. He was one of the team’s most unheralded players coming into the season. He provided depth at running back and presence as a veteran pass catcher. But still, nobody could have seen this type of performance coming from the fifth year man. He deserves praise for this performance and hopefully it will continue for the rest of the season.

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