Laremy Tunsil just seized contract control from Commanders without saying a word

The Washington Commanders are reportedly working hard behind the scenes to get a long-term extension worked out with franchise left tackle Laremy Tunsil. But every day they delay this inevitable move, the price keeps rising.

And one team insider believes Tunsil's leverage will only increase if he bides his time.

Adam Peters struck gold when he traded for Tunsil. He was precisely what the Commanders were looking for, providing elite-level production on the field and exceptional leadership in the locker room. He also wants to be paid in advance, and the general manager is under pressure to resolve this quickly after how things unfolded with wide receiver Terry McLaurin last summer.

Laremy Tunsil could wait the Commanders out to get more money on his extension

The Cleveland Browns trading for Tytus Howard — Tunsil's former teammate with the Houston Texans — and then paying him a $21 million-per-year deal moved the goalposts. And with free agency approaching, Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan believes the Ole Miss product could wait until a little later in the offseason in pursuit of even more cash on his contract.

"In a world where Tytus Howard is getting $21 million a year, what in the heck is Laremy Tunsil going to make? Would Laremy Tunsil even sign right now? Because he'd be smart to wait. There's really no reason for him to get a deal in place ahead of the market when all these tackles are about to get paid. And there's some truth to that."

Tunsil is already expected to reset the market with a deal in the $30 million-per-season range. If the market gets set before then, the price will rise. Peters also knows that the Commanders have no option but to give the blindside enforcer what he wants.

The Commanders are under pressure to make the desired improvements next season. Tunsil was their best performer as all around him crumbled in 2025. It's not hard to do the math, and the longer he waits, the more he could earn on what will surely be the last megabucks contract of his prolific career.

Peters was encouraged by the progress of the talks with Tunsil. That wasn't always the case with McLaurin, which is encouraging for fans who don't want this saga to drag on for too long.

But if Tunsil draws a line in the sand until the first couple of free agency waves are done, or when other accomplished left tackles get their money, all Peters can do is wait.

In this scenario, fans demanding a quick resolution to this potential issue will be out of luck.