Commanders To Add LB Leo Chenal

After four seasons with the Chiefs, Leo Chenal will join former teammates Andrew Wylie and Nick Allegretti in Washington. The Commanders are signing the young linebacker, NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweets.

Chenal is signing a three-year, $24.75MM Commanders pact. Although this year’s linebacker class is deep, Chenal is one of the youngest options — at 25. The Chiefs re-signed Nick Bolton last year and have Drue Tranquill tied to a deal he inked in 2024. Kansas City, which is reshaping its secondary over the past week, will now lose another key defender.

PFR’s No. 39-ranked free agent, Chenal played a career-high 53% of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps in his contract year. Used in multiple capacities by DC Steve Spagnuolo, Chenal made between 58 and 65 tackles over the past three seasons while starting 44 games in that span. Spagnuolo preferred to use Tranquill over Chenal alongside Bolton over the past two campaigns, but Chenal’s work rate has never the less increased.

Pro Football Focus ranked all three of the Chiefs’ LB regulars in the top 20 at the position last year, and Chenal also submitted a 2023 season with eight tackles for loss. The former third-round pick has five playoff starts under his belt as well. An effective blitzer (seven career sacks), Chenal will be a key piece for new Washington DC Daronte Jones. Though, Chenal’s most memorable NFL contribution came when he saved the Chiefs from a November 2024 home loss to the Broncos by blocking Denver’s game-winning field goal attempt.

Washington has hybrid player Frankie Luvu in a contract year and has not re-signed Bobby Wagner, who has not missed a game during his two Commanders seasons. Chenal will be poised to become a full-time linebacker for the first time, regardless of who Washington puts around him on its defensive second level.

The Chiefs how lost Chenal, Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Bryan Cook and Joshua Williams off their defense. The team released defensive lineman Mike Danna recently as well. Spagnuolo’s eighth Kansas City unit will look drastically different than his seventh.