The Washington Commanders are the top up-and-coming team in the NFL after their surprise run to the NFC Championship Game last year. While they came up short against the eventual champion Philadelphia Eagles, there’s reason to believe they are here to stay. However, before they return to the field in 2025, they need to resolve their contract dispute with star wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
Entering the offseason, it was clear that McLaurin could be up for a new contract, as he’s entering the final year of his three-year, $68.36 million deal. To this point, nothing has gotten done, which resulted in McLaurin skipping mandatory minicamp. There is certainly still time for a deal to get completed, but NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated offered a worrying update on the situation ahead of training camp.
Commanders ‘Not in a Great Place’ with Terry McLaurin
The Commanders selected McLaurin in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he immediately has blossomed into one of the most consistent wide receivers in the league, even though he’s typically dealt with subpar quarterback play. McLaurin has racked up at least 1,000 yards in each of the past five seasons, and if he didn’t miss two games as a rookie, he likely would have eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in that season too.
With Jayden Daniels under center in 2024, McLaurin enjoyed easily the best season of his career. The former Ohio State Buckeye caught 82 passes for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns, earning him the second Pro Bowl selection of his career and a spot on the All-Pro Second Team.
Washington followed up their breakout 2024 season by swinging a trade with the San Francisco 49ers for star wide receiver Deebo Samuel, seemingly giving Daniels one of the top pass-catching duos in the league. The problem is that McLaurin isn’t going to play until he gets a new contract from the looks of it, and according to Breer, the two sides aren’t exactly on great terms with training camp quickly approaching.
“They have a lot of work to do,” Breer admitted when discussing the situation. “I’d expect that work will pick up again when the league comes back from break in a few weeks. But it’s still not in a great place. So we’ll see what happens—there’s plenty of time to get something done.”
Commanders, Terry McLaurin Set to Hit the Negotiating Table in the Near Future
GettyWashington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
While McLaurin has seen his name pop up in trade rumors as a result of this situation, it seems unlikely that the Commanders are considering moving on from him. These sorts of contract stalemates happen, and they take time to resolve. While the two sides aren’t on great terms right now, it only takes one conversation to change that.
It is worth noting that McLaurin is entering his age-30 season, but to this point, he’s shown no signs of slowing down, as he remains one of the most underrated wide receivers in the league. It seems like only a matter of time until the Commanders hand him a new deal, but for the time being, things are in a precarious position, making this a situation worth keeping tabs on ahead of training camp.
