Leo Chenal
American football player (born 2000)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Leo Chenal (/ʃəˈnɛl/ shə-NEL; born October 26, 2000) is an American professional football linebacker for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft, where he won Super Bowl LVII and LVIII.
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Grantsburg, Wisconsin, U.S.
Chenal with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022 | |||||||||||||
| No. 54 – Washington Commanders | |||||||||||||
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| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | October 26, 2000 Grantsburg, Wisconsin, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Grantsburg | ||||||||||||
| College | Wisconsin (2019–2021) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2022: 3rd round, 103rd overall pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||||||||
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Early life
Chenal grew up in West Sweden, Wisconsin township and attended school in the Frederic, Wisconsin district. He open enrolled as a freshman to nearby town Grantsburg, Wisconsin to attend Grantsburg High School, where he played both running back and linebacker.[1] As a senior, Chenal rushed for 2,038 yards and 42 touchdowns with 226 receiving yards and three touchdowns on offense and had 120 tackles and seven tackles for loss on defense.[2] He was named both the small-school Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year by Wisconsin Football Coaches Association and the state Gatorade Football Player of the Year.[3] After a devastating loss to the future state champions, Iola-Scandinavia.[4] Chenal finished his high school career with 3,706 rushing yards and 68 touchdowns and 1,300 receiving yards and 17 touchdown receptions on offense and with 385 tackles, 55 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and three interceptions on defense.[5]
College career
Chenal joined the Wisconsin Badgers as an early enrollee.[6] He played in 11 games during his freshman season and had 20 tackles with two tackles for loss and one sack.[7] As a sophomore, he was named honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference after finishing the season with 46 tackles, six tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, one forced fumble and one interception in seven games during Wisconsin's COVID-19-shortened 2020 season.[8] Chenal was named the Butkus–Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten as a junior.[9]
On January 3, 2022, Chenal announced that he would forgo his senior year to enter the 2022 NFL draft.[10]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2+5⁄8 in (1.90 m) | 250 lb (113 kg) | 31 in (0.79 m) | 9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) | 6 ft 3+1⁄2 in (1.92 m) | 4.53 s | 1.50 s | 2.57 s | 4.24 s | 6.98 s | 40.5 in (1.03 m) | 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m) | 34 reps |
| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[11][12] | ||||||||||||
Kansas City Chiefs
Chenal was selected in the third round (103rd overall) by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2022 NFL draft.[13] Chenal made his NFL debut in the Chiefs' regular season opener against the Arizona Cardinals.[14] He earned his first start in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders.[14] He recorded his first professional sack in Week 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.[15] Chenal finished his rookie season with 35 total tackles and one sack in 17 games, of which he started eight.[14] Chenal won two Super Bowls, in his first two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. In Super Bowl LVII Chenal recorded six tackles and a sack as the Chiefs won 38–35 over the Philadelphia Eagles.[16] He was also a key factor for the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, contributing 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 forced fumble, and a blocked extra point, helping the Chiefs win 25–22 in overtime over the San Francisco 49ers.[17] In Week 10 of the 2024 season, Chenal blocked the potential walk-off field goal from Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz, leading to him being named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. [18][19]
Chenal made 14 appearances (12 starts) for Kansas City during the 2025 season, recording one interception, two pass deflections, two sacks, and 58 combined tackles. After suffering a shoulder injury in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Chenal was placed on season-ending injured reserve on December 20, 2025.[20]
Washington Commanders
On March 13, 2026, Chenal signed a three-year, $24.75 million contract with the Washington Commanders.[21][22]
NFL career statistics
Personal life
Chenal has seven brothers and eight sisters.[23]
