The Chicago Bears may be one of the least-talented teams in the NFL heading into the 2017 season. That much is already known. But the team is reportedly on the verge of taking care of one of its core players.
According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears are closing in on a four-year, $38 million extension with starting left tackle Charles Leno. The deal is reportedly set to earn the Boise State product $21.5 million in guaranteed cash.
Leno, 25, was a seventh-round pick of the Bears back in 2014. After playing a part-time role during his rookie season, Leno started 29 of 32 games at left tackle over the past two years. He’s going to be an important figure in the progression of rookie No. 2 overall pick Mitch Trubisky under center for the foreseeable future.
While Leno has not performed much better than an average left tackle throughout the past two seasons, he does give Chicago’s offensive line some sense of direction and continuity. For a rebuilding team, that’s a pretty big deal.