The Washington Commanders reported back to Ashburn for the start of OTAs on Tuesday. Washington will hold four on-field OTAs this week and three in each of the next two weeks before the mandatory minicamp.
After the minicamp, the Commanders will break before returning for training camp in July.
As players reported Monday, there was one notable absence. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin was not present, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.
McLaurin participated in the first phase of offseason workouts which began last month. However, ESPN reported at the time that McLaurin would skip on-field work as he awaits resolution on a new contract.
As he awaits a new contract, Commanders WR Terry McLaurin did not attend the start of OTAs on Monday, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation. He has not attended workouts at all since the conclusion of the draft.
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) May 24, 2022
This offseason, the wide receiver market has exploded with lucrative extensions for Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, A.J. Brown and D.J. Moore. While McLaurin’s deal shouldn’t be in the range of Adams or Hill, he should slot in with a deal similar to Brown — who was traded to the Eagles during the NFL draft.
Per Jhabvala, McLaurin attended all workouts before the draft but hasn’t been around since that time. Is there a breakdown in contract talks, or is this a case of the Commanders waiting to become more serious after June 1?
Washington cannot afford to botch these negotiations. Fans have become accustomed to the Commanders failing to keep some of their best players, but arguably no one is more important than McLaurin. A legit top-10 NFL wide receiver, McLaurin is a valued team leader and a critical part of head coach Ron Rivera’s culture change.