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The standstill between the Washington Commanders and Terry McLaurin has escalated into a formal trade request by the wide receiver.
It’s a culmination of what he describes as a “frustrating” negotiation process. The two sides have been unable to reach an agreement after McLaurin received his first All-Pro selection in 2024.
About two weeks ago, General Manager Adam Peters acknowledged contract talks and said the team wants a deal to get done. With McLaurin now officially requesting a trade, the rest of the Commanders’ receiving core warrants a closer look.
“The Commanders’ lack of depth at WR is concerning,” Nicki Jhabvala, a senior writer for The Athletic, posted on X. “Terry McLaurin didn’t have a ton of leverage in contract negotiations with the team, but that part is growing increasingly favorable for him.”
Even with the addition of Deebo Samuel, the team still lacks fresh and explosive receivers outside of their top target.
Samuel is the clear-cut number one option if McLaurin continues his holdout into the regular season. But behind McLaurin and Samuel is where things get interesting.
The next receiver on Washington’s depth chart is Noah Brown, who appeared in 11 games last season. He showed flashes of potential, but ultimately only recorded more than five receptions in two games.
Next in line is Michael Gallup, who showed promise early in his career. In the 2019 and 2020 seasons, he recorded nearly 2,000 receiving yards with the Dallas Cowboys.
In three seasons since, he’s recorded less than 1,300 yards. If McLaurin isn’t available in week one, Gallup will likely be the player Washington leans on to fill his role because he’s much more proven than the next two receivers on the depth chart.
Luke McCaffrey enters his sophomore season after being drafted by the Commanders in the third round in 2024. He appeared in all 17 regular-season games a year ago, but only had three games with more than three receptions.
The other receiver with a lot to prove is K.J. Osborn, who is coming off a career-worst season with the New England Patriots. He is likely to be the fifth-string receiver if McLaurin’s holdout continues.
Combined, it’s an underwhelming group of receivers without McLaurin. And with a flourishing sophomore quarterback in Jayden Daniels, the last thing he needs is to be without his best weapon heading into year two of his NFL career.
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