ASHBURN, Va. — Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn stated that wide receiver Terry McLaurin’s request to be traded is not a distraction, describing it as a typical part of NFL business.
McLaurin asked for a trade on Thursday after discussions about a contract extension did not make any progress. He is seen as a hold-in and was put on the physically unable to perform list after showing up on Sunday. He missed the first four days of training camp.
Quinn mentioned that McLaurin let him know about his trade request before it became public knowledge.
“We really appreciate Terry and are happy to have him here. We hope he starts practicing soon,” Quinn said. “However, I also get that there’s a business side to this situation. That’s what they’re working on. I enjoy coaching him.”
Quinn mentioned that he doesn’t need to talk to the players about the issue because he believes it won’t distract them.
“Players today know more about contracts than they used to,” Quinn explained. “They understand that’s part of the business. As a team, we’re just doing our thing. For Terry, the trade request is a normal part of what happens in the NFL, and we get it.”
“This group is close-knit and focused on their tasks,” he added.
Veteran safety and special teams player Jeremy Reaves echoed Quinn’s sentiments.
“17 knows I care about him,” Reaves said, referring to McLaurin’s jersey number. “He’s my guy. I wish him well, but I still have my job to do out here. We all know we have responsibilities to each other.”
Sources indicated that the two sides have been far apart in negotiations for quite some time. Washington is hesitant to offer a wide receiver top-market pay when he will be 31 at the start of the extension.
McLaurin is comparing his situation to DK Metcalf from the Pittsburgh Steelers, who signed a contract worth $32.5 million per year this offseason. They were drafted in the same class and have similar stats, but Metcalf is two years younger.
McLaurin is currently in the last year of a three-year deal valued at $68.4 million and will turn 30 in September.
Quinn said he wasn’t shocked things had come to this point but noted that he leaves negotiations up to general manager Adam Peters.
“I try not to judge it,” Quinn mentioned. “I understand that players are working to provide for themselves and their families, so I don’t want to put myself in that position. It’s easy to think, ‘If I had that much, I would do this or that.’ So, I avoid those thoughts. I aim to support him as much as possible, but we don’t talk about money matters.”
As has been his routine since he arrived, McLaurin went to the practice field about 20 minutes after the session ended. On Saturday, he greeted his teammates and then hugged Jayden Daniels’ mom and team owner Josh Harris, who were chatting together. After that, McLaurin spent around 45 minutes signing autographs, with one young fan shouting that he was going to start a GoFundMe account.
McLaurin is Washington’s leading wide receiver and just finished a season where he caught a career-high 13 touchdown passes. He has gained over 1,000 yards for five straight seasons and just made his second Pro Bowl appearance. Since joining the NFL as a third-round pick in 2019, McLaurin has been adored by fans and highly respected among his teammates.
Right now, he is recovering from an ankle injury that first bothered him late last season while also signing autographs for fans after practice. He participates in meetings and goes through walk-throughs. Both he and the team are eager to have him back on the field.
“It’s a tough time emotionally,” Quinn said. “I just do my best to support the player.”
