As the summer began, it was evident that McLaurin would be looking for a new contract, as he was entering the final year of his three-year, $68.36 million agreement. To this time, nothing has been accomplished, therefore McLaurin skipped required minicamp.
There is still time for a settlement to be reached, but NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated provided a concerning update on the situation ahead of training camp.
Commanders: ‘Not in a Great Place’ with Terry McLaurin
McLaurin was taken in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Commanders, and he has quickly developed into one of the league’s most reliable wide receivers, while dealing with substandard quarterback play on most occasions. McLaurin has accumulated at least 1,000 yards in each of the previous five seasons, and if he hadn’t missed two games as a rookie, he would have likely surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in that season as well.
With Jayden Daniels at quarterback in 2024, McLaurin had easily his best season. The former Ohio State Buckeye caught 82 catches for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns, earning him his second Pro Bowl selection and inclusion on the All-Pro Second Team.
Following their breakout 2024 season, Washington made a trade with the San Francisco 49ers for standout wide receiver Deebo Samuel, ostensibly giving Daniels one of the league’s best pass-catching duos. The problem is that McLaurin isn’t expected to play until he signs a new deal, and according to Breer, the two sides aren’t exactly on good terms as training camp approaches.
“They have a lot of work to do,” Breer said while assessing the scenario. “I expect work to ramp up again when the league returns from break in a few weeks. But it’s still not in a good place. So we’ll see what happens—there’s plenty of time to accomplish something.”
Commanders: Terry McLaurin Set to Hit the negotiating table in the near future.
While McLaurin’s name has come up in trade rumors as a result of this circumstance, it appears unlikely that the Commanders will contemplate moving on from him. These kind of contract stalemates do occur, and they take time to settle. While the two sides aren’t on good terms right now, one discussion can change that.
It’s worth mentioning that McLaurin is approaching his 30th season, but he’s showed no signs of slowing down, and he remains one of the league’s most underrated wide receivers. It appears that it will only be a matter of time before the Commanders offer him a new contract, but for the time being, things are hazardous, making this a situation to keep an eye on before training camp begins.
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