Terry McLaurin is entering the final year of his current contract and is not participating in team drills during training camp, as he is seeking an extension this offseason. With talks stalled, there has been speculation about how far apart the two sides are in negotiations.
During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that McLaurin is unlikely to accept less than DK Metcalf’s new deal, which equates to $33 million annually, and likely “wants considerably more.” In addition, the 29-year-old receiver and the Washington Commanders “don’t seem close to a deal.”
With the regular season only six weeks away, it is a difficult spot for the Commanders, who are looking to build on what they accomplished last season. Quarterback Jayden Daniels is entering his second year in the NFL and needs his WR1 if he wants to take that next step in his development.
Understandably, it seems Washington is hesitant to pay that much for an aging receiver, who will be 30 years old at the start of the season.
Last season, McLaurin caught 82 passes for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns.
However, these stats are somewhat underwhelming when considering that 552 of those receiving yards came in just five games. In the 12 games outside of those outlier performances, McLaurin totaled 544 receiving yards. Also, the 13 receiving touchdowns were a career high and the most for McLaurin since his rookie season (7).
It was the first time in McLaurin’s career when he had a star quarterback at the helm, which could be a point that last season was truly an outlier year for the veteran receiver.
In addition, with Deebo Samuel in the fold, McLaurin’s target share will inevitably suffer. Samuel will dominate targets in the screen game and short areas of the field, which McLaurin benefited from.
McLaurin is an outstanding receiver, but the Commanders need to be smart in these negotiations. Paying $33 million for a player nearing the end of his prime is not good for team construction. Although Daniels is on his rookie contract for the next several years, overpaying for players does not necessarily lead to winning.
If Washington can sign the seven-year veteran to a deal in the range of $25-27 million per year, that would be much more reasonable when considering the age and production of the player.
The Commanders are in a tough spot with this transpiring this late in the offseason, but they should not pay a premium for McLaurin.
