Washington Football Team gives Logan Thomas three-year extension

The Washington Football Team is rewarding some of its top performers this week, and tight end Logan Thomas is next in line.

Ever since Jordan Reed’s decline, tight end has been an area of concern for the Washington Football Team. Reed was one of the team’s most illustrious playmakers from 2013 to 2018, but fell off the map in 2019 when ongoing concussion symptoms unexpectedly prevented him from seeing the field.

The Washington Football Team tried to fill the void left by Reed with Jeremy Sprinkle and Vernon Davis. Davis would end the year on injured reserve after catching just 10 passes, and Sprinkle would underwhelm in an increased role.

The crumbling of the tight end position left the Washington Football Team in a tough spot to start the Ron Rivera era. Entering the offseason, many expected Washington to sign an expensive free agent, or draft a tight end in the early rounds in April. Instead, the Washington Football Team signed Logan Thomas.

At the time, Thomas was a cheap buy-low addition for Washington — likely a mere stopgap in the team’s true search for a tight end. Fast forward to a year and a half later, however, and Thomas is coming off a 72-catch, 670-yard, six-touchdown season. He’s one of the team’s most consistent playmakers, and he has a new contract.

That’s right. According to Mike Garafolo, the Washington Football Team awarded Thomas with a three-year extension this morning. The Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala provided more details on the deal as well. Per Jhabvala, it’s a three-year deal worth approximately $24 million, with $10 million in guarantees. The raw value averages out to around $8 million per year.

Thomas’ average annual value of $8 million ties him for the eighth-most expensive tight end contract in the NFL — the same value as Chicago’s Jimmy Graham. Notable names above Thomas on that list include George Kittle, Travis Kelce, Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, Austin Hooper, Zach Ertz, and rookie Kyle Pitts.

Provided with this context, and taking into account the salary cap boost that’s expected in 2022, and the Thomas deal feels like another win for the Washington Football Team, as well as Thomas himself. The deal is fairly cost-efficient, but Washington should also have the flexibility to get out early, if they need to.

Thomas, who turned 30 earlier this month, may be getting older, but 2020 was his first year as a true starter at tight end. Thomas has always had the natural talent; with his 4.61 40-yard dash and 35.5-inch vertical at 6’6″, 250 pounds, he tested as an elite athlete at the tight end position in 2014. Washington simply gave him the opportunity, and the former QB converted.

In 2020, Thomas was a favorite target for all the quarterbacks who saw playing time. Even in his first season with over 28 targets, Thomas showed an ability to get open with his physical traits, and his contested catch ability frequently drew awe. Expectations will be high in 2021, especially with an upgrade at quarterback, but as this extension shows, Washington believes Thomas can deliver again.