Hogs Haven
Just paying Terry might not be as simple as it seems
The hot topic at the top of everyone’s minds during training camp has been Terry’ McLaurin’s contract situation. That is surprising, given that Terry is under contract and set to earn $25,500,000 with the Commanders this season.
It is also disappointing, because it means the camp battles with the most potential impact on the coming season (DE, WR, RB, OL, S) are not getting the attention they normally would.
Terry has made it known that he expects to be paid like a top wide receiver. What that means, in terms of contract value and guaranteed money has not been disclosed by any verified source. According to Over the Cap, the highest paid wide receiver is 25 year old Ja’Marr Chase, at $40.25M Average Per Year (APY). The median APY of the top five WR contracts is $34M APY. And the median of the top 10 contracts is $32.25M APY. He is probably expecting something somewhere in that range.
We don’t know anything about what offers either side has made. What has been made clear is that the Commanders have not come close to Terry’s asking price. While the team has been playing it cool, Terry has expressed increasing frustration to the media. Most recently, he has requested a trade.
At 30 years of age, this season, Terry is set to be the 17th highest paid NFL WR by total contract APY. There are myriad ways to look at contract value, but that’s a good starting point. Terry’s salary rank is somewhat below his rank by production at WR. In the 2024 regular season, he ranked 12th in total receiving yards, 2nd in TD receptions, and 8th in both yards/target and Receiving Success Rate. Based on his relative productivity in 2024, and his value to the Commanders as well as their competitors, it is clear why Terry feels he is due for a pay raise in his next contract.
If Terry were 27 years old, as he was when his current contract was negotiated, that would be a no brainer. The challenge Adam Peters faces is managing the risk and achieving optimal value for the team when extending a wide receiver who will be 31 years old in the first season of his next contract.
To many in the fanbase, it is simple. Terry is a franchise player, who embodies the winning culture that new ownership and management is building in DC. He epitomizes the clutch playstyle that is rapidly becoming the Quinn Commanders’ signature. He is a team leader and provides a role model for younger players. And most of all, he has earned it by playing at a top level consistently, through the dark period under Dan Snyder, despite never having a top QB until last season. If any player has earned a big pay check, it’s Terry McLaurin.
The problem, as others have pointed out, is that despite Terry’s undisputed contributions to this point in his career,...
