Charles Leno Jr. Retires from NFL on 2-Year Anniversary of Family Tragedy: 'It Changed What Matters Most to Me'

NEED TO KNOW

• Longtime NFL lineman Charles Leno Jr. announced his retirement on Tuesday
• Leno Jr. said "something in me shifted" following his wife Jennifer Leno's 2023 miscarriage
• The former Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders player said the experience "changed what matters most to me"

After 10 seasons in the NFL, Charles Leno Jr. says he and his family are moving on to their next chapter together.

The longtime Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders offensive lineman shared an emotional message on social media Tuesday, Oct. 14, announcing he will retire from the NFL after experiencing a change of heart in recent years following his wife Jennifer Leno’s 2023 miscarriage.

Leno Jr., 34, made his retirement announcement two years to the day that he and his wife “experienced the most unimaginable heartbreak” when they lost their fourth daughter Paitynn.

“That day changed everything for me,” the NFL veteran wrote in a post on Instagram. “It changed the way I see life, the way I carry myself, and most of all, it changed what matters most to me.”

A native of Oakland, Calif., Leno Jr. played college football at Boise State before being drafted by the Bears in the 7th round with the No. 246th pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. He played with Chicago until 2020 and then joined the Commanders for three more seasons. He last played for Washington in 2023 after he was placed on the team’s injury reserve list in December with a calf injury. He was released from the team in March 2024.

“Football has given me so much,” Leno Jr. wrote in his retirement announcement Tuesday. “It gave me the platform to grow, to lead, to overcome. It took me from being a kid with a dream to a man standing here today, proud of what I’ve accomplished.”

But, Leno Jr. said, "on that October day in 2023, something in me shifted."

"I knew then that I was done with football," he continued. "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 one day, when the time was right, I'd make it official.

The retiring NFL star said being a father is now "the greatest role of my life.”

Leno Jr. and his wife Jennifer share daughters Carsynn, Oaklynn and Jordynn. 

“Your laughter, your love, and your strength have given me purpose far beyond football,” Leno Jr. wrote to his daughters in his announcement Tuesday. “I want to be there for every moment, every milestone, and every memory still to come.”

Calling Jennifer “my rock,” Leno Jr. also thanked his wife “for being my partner through everything.”

The retiring NFL star said he will “walk away from the game not with sadness but with deep gratitude,” telling his and Jennifer’s late daughter Paitynn that his retirement is for her.

“To our angel, Paitynn – this moment is for you,” Leno Jr. wrote. “Daddy loves you forever. I carry you with me every day.”

Read the original article on People