Pro Football Rumors
Making one of the more stunning conference championship game journeys in NFL history, the Commanders altered their trajectory in the first year of the Adam Peters–Dan Quinn regime. Although early-career QB promise has fooled this franchise in the past, Jayden Daniels looks to have solved one of the NFL’s longeststanding position issues. The 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year gives Washington hope, as evidenced by the team’s (convincing) upset win over the No. 1-seeded Lions in the divisional round.
Sustaining that promise will not be easy, but the Commanders went to work on filling their roster with veteran talent to complement Daniels’ rookie contract. This formula has paid off big for teams in the rookie-scale contract era, and the Commanders will take their swing. Laremy Tunsil and Deebo Samuel are in the nation’s capital to help, and the Daniels-centered roster is now flanked by a host of experienced veterans.
Washington has been unable to find a viable McLaurin sidekick, striking out in free agency and on first-round pick Jahan Dotson. McLaurin, however, continued to produce regardless of the overmatched quarterbacks the franchise trotted out from 2019-23. Regardless of the value displayed during his career, McLaurin ran into some obstacles with Adam Peters embroiled in his first major extension talks as GM.
Upon drafting Daniels, the Commanders continued to lean on McLaurin, who continued his run of durability and delivered another solid season. McLaurin’s 1,096 yards were not a career high; his 13 touchdown catches were. And he added three more scores in the playoffs, cementing a second extension candidacy.
Entering the offseason tied to his 2022 deal, McLaurin also approaches an age-30 season — which became a point of contention during a long-running set of negotiations. While fellow 2019 Day 2 wideouts A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf had third contracts in place, both players are two years younger than McLaurin. The Ohio State product being Washington’s top weapon throughout his career counted for plenty, but this became a difficult negotiation. Drafted during the Bruce Allen regime’s final offseason, McLaurin ran into trouble convincing the Peters-led front office of his value this year.
In the Amari Cooper boat as a perennial 1,000-yard receiver but one never especially close to the league lead, McLaurin carries a bit more of an alibi due to the likes of Taylor Heinicke, Dwayne Haskins and Sam Howell being his primary passers. With Case Keenum and Carson Wentz sprinkled in, McLaurin doing enough to assemble a five-season streak of that sort is impressive. And Metcalf was less consistent despite having better QB play in Seattle. Still, this Commanders regime held McLaurin’s age against him.
Not reporting to OTAs or minicamp, McLaurin soon expressed [frustration about the tenor...
