ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders finalized an extension deal Wednesday with guard Sam Cosmi, saying they are confident he will anchor the offensive line for at least the next five seasons.
Cosmi had his wife and daughter present when he signed a four-year extension with the team, and he was emotional during the news conference announcement explaining what the deal meant to him and his family.
"I feel that I’m super blessed, I’m super grateful and it just makes me want to work even harder," said Cosmi, who was drafted by Washington in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. "I want to be one of the best, so I’m going to be working towards that."
The tackle turned guard said initial talks with General Manager Adam Peters began in February, but said those talks intensified in the past three weeks.
"They were fortunate enough to see me as a building block for this new regime to go forward, and I’m the first one to get extended, and I find that as a privilege and honor to be that first guy," Cosmi said.
Head coach Dan Quinn wasn't shy about his excitement over the deal.
"For Adam and his staff to get that done prior to the season, that’s a big deal," Quinn said. "This guy is a Commander through and through. He’s tough, he plays square, he’s strong. We’re really fortunate that he’ll be an anchor inside for years to come."
Fellow offensive lineman Nick Allegretti echoed that excitement.
"I’m getting chills, it's just awesome," Allegretti said. "You don’t play the game for this, but when you’re able to play this game at a high level and put your family in that type of situation, it’s really cool."
Cosmi played tackle his first two seasons in the NFL before making the switch to guard last season -- a move Quinn said unlocked something in him.
"He is so strong and square and it just kind of suits him, inside," Quinn said of Cosmi's position change. "We saw him at tackle, but having that kind of ability inside for the pocket, it’s a big deal. That kind of stoutness, it’s big, certainly, for Jayden [Daniels], or the quarterback, and his ability to have space in the pocket, to step up. This is an athlete that can pull and move and in our system and that’s important."
Cosmi said he's noticed the Commanders franchise has changed for the better since he got to Washington and believes the team is ready to win now.
"It’s so different from the past three years that I’ve been here," he said. "The atmosphere is just different, and you can kind of just see it. I think everybody sees it. We need to put it together this season and I think we will. I think we’ve got the guys to do it."