Charles Leno, former Pro Bowl offensive tackle, announces retirement from NFL

Former Pro Bowl offensive lineman Charles Leno formally announcement his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday, nearly two years after his last game. 

Leno announced his retirement on the two-year anniversary that he and his wife Jennifer lost their daughter, Paitynn, due to a miscarriage in a moment that "changed everything for me." Leno dedicated his retirement announcement to his daughter. 

"On that October day in 2023, something in he shifted," Leno wrote on social media. "I knew then that I was done with football. Not physically but mentally and emotionally. My priority, my passion, my purpose had changed. My heart now belongs fully to my family. And I knew that one day, when the time was right, I'd make it official." 

Leno's NFL career began with humble beginnings as a seventh-round pick. Despite that, he made the Bears' active roster as a rookie and became a full-time starter on Chicago's offensive line in 2014. In 2018, he was selected to the Pro Bowl while helping the Bears capture an NFC North division title. 

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Leno spent two more seasons with the Bears before playing three seasons in Washington. In all, he played in 149 regular-season games, logging 141 starts. 

An modal of consistency and durability, Leno started in each of his team's regular season games from 2016-22. 

Along with being a Pro Bowl left tackle, Leno was also a Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, a four-time NFLPA Community MVP and a two-time Alan Page Community Award runner-up. 

"Today, I walk away from the game, not with sadness, but he deep gratitude," Leno wrote. "This isn't goodbye -- it's just a new beginning."