Terry McLaurin and the Washington Commanders are embroiled in a contract standoff that could have significant ramifications on the team’s chances in 2025. Both sides are dug into their respective stances, but a new report hinted that general manager Adam Peters is eventually going to come out on top.
McLaurin has taken every drastic measure, and it hasn’t worked. From holding out to trade requests and everything in between has been piled onto the Commanders in pursuit of getting the money he’s after. It didn’t have the desired effect, which is a testament to Peters’ strong resolve and willingness to take some heat to protect the team’s long-term flexibility.
The former third-round pick out of Ohio State is now activated from the physically unable to perform list. That’s a big positive, but it didn’t come with the extension many were looking for.
League buzz suggests Commanders won’t give Terry McLaurin the money he’s looking for
According to Dianna Russini from The Athletic, citing sources close to the situation, McLaurin’s representatives and Peters haven’t moved much to find some middle ground. The insider also confirmed that other primary decision-makers around the league think Washington will eventually win this war with a deal in the region of $27-28 million per season.
“This is from a source close to the situation. Nothing significant has changed…That usually also tells you that both sides haven’t changed their positions either. Every decision-maker in football kind of always falls between that 27 and 28 [million]. I have a hard time finding anyone who has given me the number that I think the McLaurin camp is giving. Not saying they shouldn’t go for it, it’s just I think most teams are looking at it through the lens of Adam Peters right now.”
Dianna Russini via Newsweek
If McLaurin were a couple of years younger, this deal would have been done before the start of OTAs. What’s complicating matters is that the wideout reportedly wants more than $30 million per year on an extension that won’t officially start until he’s 31 years old.
Peters won’t do it. The data around receivers dropping off in performance levels later in their careers is vast and proven — even the first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famers regress. McLaurin hasn’t shown any decline as yet, but there is no guarantee he can maintain his exceptionally consistent career into a third NFL contract.
That might sound like an asinine notion to fans who’ve seen McLaurin put up 1,000-yard receiving seasons with almost no stability whatsoever at the quarterback position. But the statistics are glaring, and the Commanders are relying much more on analytics under the current regime.
Russini’s report suggests that nobody else around the NFL would pay McLaurin north of $30 million, either. The Commanders won’t be trading him, so reaching some middle ground remains the smartest course of action.
And the sooner that happens, the better.
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