Sportsnaut
The Washington Commanders are coming off one of their best seasons in franchise history, with wide receiver Terry McLaurin thriving alongside quarterback Jayden Daniels. However, McLaurin’s future with the franchise has been uncertain as he enters a contract year.
Bleacher Report‘s NFL reporter James Palmer shared that, from his understanding, the Commanders and McLaurin really “didn’t make any kind of headway” during negotiations in June. Just weeks out from training camp, the two sides are “far apart” on any progress toward an extension.
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Palmer shared that McLaurin is not asking the Commanders to reset the market at the receiver position, which would mean a multi-year extension north of $40 million per season. However, McLaurin does believe his new salary should fall in line with his comparable peers.
To his point, Tee Higgins is the highest-paid No. 2 receiver in the NFL at a $28.75 million average annual value (AAV). Over the last three seasons, McLaurin has far outpaced Higgins in receiving yards (3,289 to 2,596). Coming off a career-high 13 receiving touchdowns, he is more in line with No. 1 wide receivers.
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Based on his comparables, McLaurin should become the eighth wide receiver in the NFL to earn $30-plus million annually. It’s almost certainly the type of offers he would receive next offseason if he hits NFL free agency.
Evidently, a significant gap remains in contract negotiations between the two sides. It’s possible that guaranteed money or the length of the deal are the bigger issues, especially since McLaurin is entering his age-30 season. Either way, the lack of progress in talks suggests the Pro Bowl receiver could exercise a hold-in during training camp.
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