Steelers Now
There’s a possibility of a new wide receiver that could hit the NFL trade market for the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, as the Washington Commanders and star wideout Terry McLaurin appear to be at odds over a new contract extension.
According to a report by Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, the McLaurin was not at the Commanders practice facility on Thursday for offseason workouts. The Commanders have not yet started OTAs, which will begin on May 28. It’s unclear if McLaurin intends to attend the final optional phase of the Washington offseason program.
McLaurin is entering the final season of a three-year, $68.4 million contract extension that he signed back in 2022 worth an average annual value of $22.788 million. McLaurin has already earned a $2.8 million roster bonus this season. He is also scheduled to earn $15.5 million in salary, along with $850,000 in per-game roster bonuses and $250,000 in likely to be earned incentives. He is risking forfeiting a $500,000 workout bonus by not participating in the Commanders offseason program.
McLaurin posted his fifth straight 1,000-yard season in 2024 and now has over 6,300 yards in his six-year NFL career. In 2024, he finished with 82 receptions for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns.
McLaurin has notably maintained extremely consistent production despite a revolving door at the quarterback position throughout his career. With second-year passer Jayden Daniels set to return to the starting quarterback slot, the Commanders will likely look to lock up McLaurin as his go-to top target.
The Commanders took other steps to increase the receiving options for Daniels this offseason, trading for Deebo Samuel from the San Francisco 49ers and drafting Jaylin Lane out of Virginia Tech in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Steelers are in obvious need of a wide receiver after trading George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys earlier this offseason. They have been in contact with several teams, including the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints, about attempting to trade for a wide receiver, but do not appear to be close to making a move on that front.
Should negotiations between McLaurin and the Commanders turn contentious, the Steelers would assuredly love to become a trade landing spot for the former Ohio State star.
But with plenty of cap space and a potential future superstar quarterback to keep happy, it seems unlikely that Washington will want to go down that road unless they absolutely have to.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Could a Contract Dispute Lead to Another WR on the Trade Market for Steelers?
