Ten-year NFL veteran Charles Leno Jr. retired on Tuesday, two years after he and his household suffered a heartbreaking tragedy.
Leno, 34, introduced his retirement in an emotional Instagram submit on Tuesday, explaining that his spouse, Jennifer, suffered a miscarriage on Oct. 14, 2023, which modified his complete perspective on life.
“We misplaced our treasured daughter, Paitynn — our fourth child woman,” the previous Bears and Commanders left sort out wrote. That day modified every thing for me. It modified the best way I see life, the best way I carry myself, and most of all, it modified what issues most to me.”

Leno stated whereas he was extraordinarily pleased with his NFL accomplishments — together with a 2018 Professional Bowl choice — the miscarriage basically modified how he felt about taking part in soccer.
“However on that October day in 2023, one thing in me shifted,” Leno wrote. “I knew then that I used to be executed with soccer. Not bodily, however mentally and emotionally. My precedence, my ardour, my goal had modified. My coronary heart now belongs absolutely to my household. And I knew at some point, when the time was proper, I'd make it official.”
Leno was a seventh-round choice by the Bears out of Boise State in 2014, taking part in the primary seven years of his profession in Chicago, beginning in no less than 16 video games 5 instances.
He joined Washington earlier than the 2021 season and performed three seasons there, however suffered a calf harm on the finish of 2023 and was launched in March 2024. He didn't signal with a crew in both of the final two seasons.
Leno thanked the help of his, teammates, coaches, agent and household earlier than concluding with how vital being a father is to him.
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“There's nothing just like the love of your daughters, nothing just like the accountability of elevating them, defending them, and being current for them,” Leno wrote. “That's my goal now. That's my legacy.
“This isn't goodbye — it's only a new starting. I really like you, Paitynn. This one's for you.”
