ClutchPoints
Week 1 of the NFL season is a month away, but pressure is already mounting on the Washington Commanders. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin won’t be on the field for Friday’s preseason opener, as the two sides remain locked in a contract standoff.
NFL insider Dianna Russini recently stated on her podcast, Scoop City, that she believes a deal will get done. But salary differences pose the main hurdle, especially after D.K. Metcalf received a new $33 million-per-year contract.
“I don’t think it’s going to land that high,” Russini said. “I think he’s going to return to Washington something closer to what I think Washington sees his value at, at soon to be 30, which is in the high 20s. That to me is the number that makes sense from the Washington side.”
After missing the first four days of Commanders training camp, McLaurin arrived and was immediately placed on the physically unable to perform list due to an ankle injury. McLaurin turns 30 on September 15, something Russini points to as a reason for the contract standstill.
Receivers like Metcalf, Tee Higgins, and Garrett Wilson all received four-year contracts this offseason, but they’re all younger than 27.
Tyreek Hill and Mike Evans are the latest receivers over 30 to land major contracts. Hill signed a three-year extension worth $30 million annually with the Miami Dolphins last offseason, while Evans agreed to a two-year deal worth $20 million annually with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Commanders begin preseason play on Friday night against the New England Patriots. The two teams also held a joint practice on Thursday, giving Russini some insight into this year’s Commanders.
“My basic takeaway from watching them is the offense is clearly better than the defense,” Russini said. “But they miss Terry McLaurin.”
His absence raises the question of who will step up if this contract dispute carries into the regular season. The Commanders traded for Deebo Samuel this offseason. But behind him, the next receivers in line are not reliable for consistent production on a week-to-week basis.
The Commanders have just over four weeks to finalize a deal with McLaurin before their week 1 divisional matchup against the New York Giants.
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