Hogs Haven
With veterans due at Washington's training camp on July 22nd, the clock is ticking toward an important deadline
The ground that will be covered in this article has been well-trodden this offseason; so much so, that it feels like every interested fan knows the issues and the answers, which appear to many Commanders fans to be pretty straightforward and easy to resolve. If that were true, though, things would already have been resolved and Terry McLaurin’s contract extension would be a done deal. So far, it’s not.
So, today, while there’s no new news to report, we’re going to review the issues that may be holding Terry and the Commanders apart, and discuss what a resolution may look like.
First of all, there is no dispute about whether McLaurin has earned a contract extension or whether the Commanders want to give it to him. Back in April, Adam Peters, Washington’s GM, publicly stated the team’s desire to make Terry McLaurin a “Commander for a long time”. Peters described the discussions with Terry’s agent at that point as “really positive”. He emphasized McLaurin’s value to the team and community as both a player and a leader, acknowledging his career-best 13 touchdowns in 2024. Despite McLaurin having one year remaining on his current deal, the team aims to secure him on a long-term contract.
So, what is holding the team back from getting this deal done?
We’ve seen rumors about the front office relying on the Mike Evans contract to low-ball Terry, alongside contrasting claims that McLaurin’s agent is being unreasonable in his demands and dealings, and even speculation that the two sides can’t agree on the length of the deal.
To be honest, outside of the team executives, Terry’s agent, and Terry himself along with his close circle of family and friends, nobody seems to know for sure. One of the hallmarks of the Commanders franchise since the arrival of Adam Peters is that information doesn’t seem to leak out — and that’s a good thing, if a bit frustrating for fans hoping for news.
Back in April, when he was discussing the extension situation, Peters said, “Just like any talks, those (details) will stay in the house”, and they have.
Still, there are a limited number of key issues that are likely to keep a willing front office and one of its star players from reaching agreement for several months. The usual suspects are:
Without having a spy inside the Washington front office or the office of Terry’s agent, it seems as if any discussion of these points is speculation, and I definitely don’t have such a spy. But NFL contracts follow conventions and precedents, so it’s at least possible to discuss these key issues in a logical framework and make some educated observations.
There are a number of ways to assess the ‘right’...
