ESPN’s John Keim emptied the notebook on the continuing contract standoff between the Commanders and WR Terry McLaurin, as the veteran receiver continues to not practice as he seeks a new deal or a trade.
Reports have said the two sides are far apart on value, with McLaurin seeking a similar deal to what the Steelers gave WR D.K. Metcalf at $33 million a year. Metcalf and McLaurin were both drafted in 2019 and have similar production.
However, Keim says McLaurin’s age is likely a major sticking point for Washington, which relies heavily on analytics. McLaurin is two years older than Metcalf and turns 30 in September.
“Once they hit 30, more times than not the money is more than the production,” one former NFL executive said, although he noted McLaurin’s style of play could help him age gracefully. McLaurin believes he has plenty of mileage left, too.
“People [are] making it seem like I need to start getting fitted for a walker and a cane,” he said in an interview in July.
Keim points out Commanders GM Adam Peters is also trying to make sure he sets good precedents with this deal, as it will impact all the other extensions and free agent negotiations Washington engages in from here. Peters doesn’t want to pay McLaurin for his past performance, per Keim, and instead wants to pay based on how he projects he’ll perform at ages 31, 32 and 33.
One league source told Keim he could see the Commanders coming up to $28 million per year on a long-term deal, but the guarantee structure would likely determine whether or not that would be acceptable for McLaurin.
According to Keim, multiple team sources over the past two months have reiterated that trading McLaurin is not an option. He also notes there’s doubt among the people he talks to about whether another team would be willing to pay McLaurin what he’s seeking and give the Commanders enough in a trade to part with their No. 1 target.
McLaurin, 29, was selected with the No. 76 overall pick in the third round out of Ohio State by Washington in 2019. He signed a four-year, $3,962,594 rookie contract.
McLaurin was set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2023 when he signed a three-year, $71 million extension. He’s entering the final year of that deal and is set to earn a base salary of $15.5 million in 2025.
In 2024, McLaurin appeared in all 17 games and recorded 82 receptions on 117 targets for 1,096 yards (13.4 YPC) and 13 touchdowns.
We’ll have more on the Commanders and McLaurin as the news is available.
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