Terry McLaurin just turned in the best season of his career—yet all eyes are on whether he’s about to leave Washington.
McLaurin is in the final year of the three‑year extension he signed in 2022, which has a base salary of $15.5 million and around $2.8 million in guarantees. Frustrated by stalled negotiations, he’s now asking for a new multi‑year extension.
He skipped mandatory minicamp and has requested a trade if the Commanders don’t want to meet his salary demands.
Nick Shook of NFL.com thinks this could be a perfect situation for the San Francisco 49ers to trade for McLaurin.
Multiple Analysts Urge San Francisco 49ers to Trade for Terry McLaurin
Shook believes San Francisco’s current WRs room, while containing some talented young players, could use a veteran like McLaurin.
“Their $30 million-per-year receiver Brandon Aiyuk doesn’t have a clear timetable to return from a season-ending knee injury suffered in 2024, leaving them with veteran Jauan Jennings and second-year wideout Ricky Pearsall as their top two options,” Shook wrote.
“McLaurin would fill out the group nicely and buy them plenty of time to be patient with Aiyuk while trotting out a threatening offense. Plus, after San Francisco sent Samuel to Washington to team up with McLaurin, the narrative crafted by a return shipment of McLaurin to the Bay Area would just be too juicy to ignore.”
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports agrees.
“The 49ers already gave the Commanders a starting wideout in Deebo Samuel. Now it might be time for Washington to repay the favor,” Benjamin noted.
“We highly doubt Adam Peters has any interest in supplying a fellow NFC contender with a premium wideout, but what if John Lynch is desperate for immediate Brock Purdy help, what with Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall battling recent or ongoing injuries? McLaurin would be a plug-and-play starter, and perhaps the Commanders could still get a quality veteran wideout, such as Jauan Jennings, as part of the move.”
‘Scary Terry’ Had Career High in TDs Last Season
McLaurin, a third-round pick in 2019 out of Ohio State, has been Washington’s most reliable receiver since he was drafted. In 2024, he finished with 82 receptions for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns, setting a new franchise record and earning second‑team All‑Pro honors and a Pro Bowl nod.
He may have increased his value even more by becoming then-rookie QB Jayden Daniels’ primary target. The veteran wideout was a huge reason Washington made it back to the NFC Championship for the first time since 1991.
Over his first four seasons, he lined up behind 10 different starting QBs, including Dwayne Haskins, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Sam Howell. He has done nothing but produce, netting five straight 1,000-yard seasons.
Are the 49ers a Good Fit?
Adding a player like McLaurin is going to instantly upgrade any WR room. He would also give Purdy another very reliable set of hands.
The 6-foot, 210-pound McLaurin is an great route runner and he has a strong awareness on how to get leverage playing in the zone. Shanahan loves receivers with those types of keen instincts.
San Francisco also has the money to do it. The 49ers currently rank third in the NFL in cap space with $47 million, which gives them flexibility to meet McLaurin’s extension demands.
The Commanders likely have no intention of trading him, which isn’t a surprise considering McLaurin’s importance to their offense and Daniels’ development. A resolution is the very likely outcome, as McLaurin’s trade request is probably more of a negotiation tactic than anything else.
Still, the 49ers have to be interested in a player of Scary Terry’s caliber.
