In case you’ve missed it, it’s been another tough week for the Washington Commanders. The bill to bring the Commanders a new stadium in Northern Virginia is dead. There’s also the saga surrounding Jack Del Rio.
Now, the Commanders are set to host their mandatory minicamp this week before breaking for training camp next month and are “unlikely” to have one of their top players present.
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin skipped voluntary OTAs as his agent, and the team continue to work toward a contract extension. Unfortunately, while the two sides have made progress, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, they remain “far apart.”
This begs the question: how far apart were they before the latest round of talks?
Longtime Washington radio personality Al Galdi, host of “The Al Galdi Podcast,” sent out a tweet Sunday noting the last two players who held out of mandatory minicamp were Albert Haynesworth and Trent Williams.
As Galdi noted, this situation doesn’t appear nearly as toxic as those two previous situations, but McLaurin missing minicamp is a big deal.
The only 2 no-shows for a Washington mandatory minicamp in recent years were Albert Haynesworth in 2010 & Trent Williams in 2019. I’m not saying Terry McLaurin’s situation is as toxic as those other 2, but him no-showing the #Commanders‘ mandatory minicamp would be a big deal.
— Al Galdi (@AlGaldi) June 12, 2022
Galdi is correct. It’s difficult to see on the outside why the two sides are far apart. Was the team’s initial offer far too low? Or does McLaurin believe he should be paid like Davante Adams or Tyreek Hill?
Either way, the court of public opinion isn’t on Washington’s side. This situation isn’t as simple as “trade him if you can’t agree to a new deal.” McLaurin is beloved. He’s a terrific player who has given Washington fans plenty to cheer for over the last three seasons when there hasn’t always been much to be happy about.
McLaurin is also one of the faces of head coach Ron Rivera’s culture change. McLaurin works hard, is a leader, and his play on the field matches his effort off the field. If the Commanders aren’t going to re-sign McLaurin, what kind of message does that send to other draft picks who’ve outplayed their contracts?
There’s still plenty of time for the two sides to agree to a new deal. Remember, Washington signed defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and tight end Logan Thomas to contract extensions just as training camp opened last summer.
However, McLaurin’s contract will be more difficult due to all the other wideouts who’ve signed new contracts this offseason.
The Commanders have a new name and were hoping for a fresh new beginning in 2022. Since the rebranding in February, there hasn’t been a lot of positivity surrounding the franchise, from multiple investigations into owner Daniel Snyder to the franchise’s alleged financial improprieties.
Washington needs some good news, and reaching an agreement with McLaurin would be a win for the franchise, at least from the fans’ perspective.
If McLaurin does skip minicamp this week, it’s another issue for Rivera to address.