The Washington Commanders are more and more likely to trade Terry McLaurin with every passing day, and one NFL analyst believes the Los Angeles Chargers should send their first-round pick for the veteran. A third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, McLaurin established himself as one of the league’s better receivers despite never having a franchise quarterback until 2024. Now holding out for a better deal, McLaurin is reportedly frustrated with the team, and Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay believes the organization could trade the wideout to the Los Angeles Chargers.
“The Bolts have been struggling to field productive wideouts in recent years, with rookie Ladd McConkey becoming the only LA pass-catcher besides Keenan Allen to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in the last three seasons,” Kay writes. “As great as McConkey was in 2024, the team needs to provide quarterback Justin Herbert with more assistance to be an aerial threat going forward.”
Chargers, Commanders Connected In Terry McLaurin Trade Rumors
The Los Angeles Chargers could use another wide receiver. As mentioned above, Ladd McConkey had a fantastic rookie season, but the rest of the depth chart leaves something to be desired. Quentin Johnston is better off as a role player, Mike Williams looked like a shell of his former self last year, and second-round pick Tre Harris has yet to prove himself against NFL competition. Head coach Jim Harbaugh prefers to win football games with an old-school style of play, but he still needs an elite passing game to keep up with the other top offenses across the league.
The biggest issue here is the cost of a Terry McLaurin trade. Kay believes the Chargers should send a first-round pick to Washington for the wide receiver’s services, but that’s a high price to pay for a non-elite player entering their age-30 season. The Chargers should have Super Bowl aspirations, but they shouldn’t mortgage their future to this extent. The Chargers would probably be willing to part with a second-round pick, but would the Commanders accept such a low price?
Terms of a Deal
While it is a little surprising Terry McLaurin and the Washington Commanders have not yet agreed to a contract extension, they still don’t want to trade the veteran. The team finally has its franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels and a proven head coach in Dan Quinn, so why would they intentionally make the team worse? Daniels guided Washington to the NFC Championship Game last year, so the Commanders should have Super Bowl aspirations.
Deebo Samuel adds depth to the wide receiver room, but he’s not nearly as good as McLaurin. Unless Washington gets a great return, they’re better off giving McLaurin a raise, even if it means overpaying for his services. Jayden Daniels is arguably the biggest value in the league, so the Commanders can afford to overpay for his favorite target.
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