49ers Urged to ‘Exploit’ Contract Dispute, Trade for Disgruntled $68 Million All-Pro

Terry McLaurin has quietly become one of the NFL’s most dependable wide receivers.

Now, entering the final year of his three-year, $68 million deal, the Washington Commanders WR is seeking a massive extension. The Commanders have yet to meet his fiscal demands, leading to his absence from mandatory minicamp and offseason workouts.

Former agent Joel Corry of CBS Sports believes the current impasse between the Commanders and McLaurin “is more complicated than you think,” and he stressed McLaurin wants big money.

“Taking everything into consideration, it’s hard to envision a realistic scenario where McLaurin accepts less than Brandon Aiyuk’s $30 million per year in an extension even though there is an age difference between the two,” Corry noted.

Niners Nation’s Nicholas McGee thinks the San Francisco 49ers should be paying close attention to the situation.

49ers Urged to Monitor Terry McLaurin Situation, Potentially Explore a Trade for Commanders WR

Getty| The San Francisco 49ers are being encouraged to trade for wide receiver Terry McLaurin if the Commanders are open to it.

“Flush with cap space and draft capital, the 49ers are theoretically in an excellent position to exploit the situation and explore a trade and extension for McLaurin,” McGee wrote on July 10.

Fresh off trading WR Deebo Samuel to the Commanders for a fifth-round pick, the two teams have had dealings just months ago. There’s no doubt McLaurin would be a polished, reliable veteran to complement Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall, giving Brock Purdy another high-end target.

The Niners are currently second in the NFL in available cap space with $47 million, and their championship window is still open. San Francisco could absorb McLaurin’s contract and extend him. Given the recent trade between these two teams, a deal for McLaurin wouldn’t just make sense—it already has a blueprint.

“With Brandon Aiyuk’s return date uncertain, the 49ers would certainly have reason for pursue a deal with former assistant GM Adam Peters to land a receiver coming off a fifth successive 1,000-yard season. Yet it makes sense that the 49ers may wait until after training camp starts, if indeed McLaurin holds out to start Commanders camp, before gauging the possibility of doing a deal,” McGee noted.

McLaurin Is Coming Off 13-TD Campaign in 2024

Over his six seasons in the league, despite constant turnover at quarterback and within the Commanders’ offense, McLaurin has done nothing but produce. He failed to surpass the 1,000-yard receiving mark just once (as a rookie in 2019), and he has been especially productive in recent years.

In 2023, McLaurin caught 79 passes for 1,002 yards and four touchdowns, marking his fourth straight 1,000-yard season. He followed that with a breakout campaign in 2024, hauling in 82 receptions for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 TDs, setting a new franchise single-season TD record and earning second-team All-Pro honors. Durable and consistent, McLaurin has played in every game since 2021.

If the Niners’ WR corps underperforms or the injury bug were to bite the group again, McGee believes GM John Lynch has to pick up the phone.

“They are unlikely to receive a positive response from a fellow contender in the NFC, and the 49ers may themselves have reservations about pursuing a 29-year-old seeking a major payday,” McGee wrote, adding:

“But the 49ers have consistently said they always look into situations where they might be able to make the team better, and McLaurin would undoubtedly put them in a stronger position to contend for the Super Bowl in 2025. The odds of adding McLaurin are slim, but the 49ers may see if there is more than an outside chance if their receivers fail to catch the eye when camp gets going.”