Sam Cosmi discusses why he wanted to remain with Commanders

The Washington Commanders secured a big part of their future on Wednesday, agreeing to a four-year deal with right guard Sam Cosmi. Cosmi, 25, is entering his fourth NFL season and the final year of his rookie contract.

A second-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the Commanders moved Cosmi from tackle to guard before last season. The move not only changed the course of Cosmi’s career, but he embraced the move. He started all 17 games for the first time in his career in 2023 and played at an All-Pro level in the second half of the season.

Cosmi’s free-agent status came at a busy time for Washington. In January, the Commanders fired Ron Rivera — the man who drafted him — and replaced him with general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn. However, the new regime quickly identified Cosmi as an extension target.

“We talked early on, I think sometime in February,” Cosmi said on Wednesday. “And we didn’t get the ball rolling; there’s a lot of stuff they had to work on here. So, we didn’t get the ball rolling until three weeks ago or something like that.”

Cosmi never worried a deal would get done. And he never wavered that he wanted to be in Washington, especially after speaking with Peters, Quinn and managing partner Josh Harris about their goals for the future.

“I really like what AP and DQ are doing,” he said. “Obviously, Mr. Harris is putting a lot of money and investing into the team and doing all that, and we see that as well. I just feel like we have a lot of tools to the belt now and people that really care about this football team, and this is a place that you want to be.”

Cosmi is also excited about protecting his new young quarterback (Jayden Daniels) for years to come.

“I think we got a special, special dude that I got to protect and very talented. And that makes me excited to be here for hopefully for the next four years, or five years.”

Cosmi’s four-year deal is reportedly worth $74 million with $45 million guaranteed, making him one of the NFL’s highest-paid guards. It’s an excellent deal for both sides.