Terry McLaurin is apparently on good terms with his coaches and teammates, notably quarterback Jayden Daniels, despite his disagreements with the Washington Commanders.
McLaurin asked the Commanders for a trade last week following protracted, apparently fruitless contract extension talks. Even while Washington has made it clear that it has no intention of trading McLaurin, its best wide receiver during the previous few seasons, the fact remains that McLaurin is not showing up for practices and may decide to rest even when the regular season arrives.
However, there doesn’t seem to be much animosity between McLaurin and the coaches and players, at least on the surface; in fact, it was disclosed that McLaurin and Daniels, in particular, are still working out together.
ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano stated, “McLaurin’s absence from practice is noteworthy, but it’s still unclear how and when this all gets resolved.” Due to an injury, teammate wide receiver Noah Brown missed practice on the day I was there as well. The Commanders’ receivers don’t pose much of a downfield threat without those two. Daniels frequently throws to tight end Zach Ertz and Deebo Samuel, both of whom are dependable veterans, but neither will assist Daniels in making deep throws. To the extent that he has any leverage, McLaurin seems to have it because they obviously need him to run their offense.
He has been honest about the situation with the coaching staff. Before the trade request was made public, he told Quinn about it. Daniels claimed that they have been viewing movies together and conversing frequently. It shouldn’t take long for things to pick back up once the standoff is over or McLaurin decides to start training. It’s the first unfavorable narrative that has surfaced about this squad since Quinn and general manager Adam Peters joined last offseason.
McLaurin’s age and how it might play a role in a possible long-term extension are allegedly the Commanders’ “sticking point” during negotiations.
The Commanders have reportedly been reluctant to provide McLaurin the multi-year, $3 million-or-more-per-year contract that he has reportedly desired because the third-round 2019 draft pick will be 30 within the first few weeks of the season.
But, as Graziano outlined, given the team’s high expectations following an incredible 12-5 season and run to the 2024 NFC Championship Game, Washington may not have much of a choice. As Daniels’ preferred target, McLaurin was a big part of that; he had 82 receptions, over 1,000 yards, and a career-high 13 touchdowns the previous season.
The Commanders will play the New York Giants on September 7 to kick off the 2025 season.
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