The Commanders and wide receiver Terry McLaurin came to terms on a three-year contract extension on Monday, worth as much as $96 million, ending his hold-in and allowing him to play in the regular-season opener against the Giants, as reported by agents Buddy Baker and Tony Bonagura to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
According to sources, McLaurin will receive a signing bonus of $30 million as part of this agreement.
Since discussions started earlier this offseason, McLaurin and the Commanders’ management have disagreed about his worth. By finalizing the agreement now, the Commanders keep their most reliable offensive player since he was selected in the third round of the 2019 draft.
After making his second Pro Bowl appearance, McLaurin has exceeded 1,000 receiving yards for five straight seasons.
He anticipated that this achievement would lead to a prompt contract extension; however, that did not materialize, leading to significant frustration that McLaurin voiced during a 30-minute press conference on July 15. He chose not to join the camp a week later and incurred a fine of $200,000 for skipping the initial four days. Previously, he had been fined $104,768 for failing to attend the mandatory three-day minicamp in June.
Upon reporting, McLaurin was placed on the physically unable to perform list due to an ankle issue the team indicated occurred towards the end of the previous season. He managed to take part in voluntary workouts earlier in the spring but missed OTA practice and minicamp. He was taken off the PUP list on August 16.
On July 31, McLaurin requested a trade; however, Washington did not entertain the idea.
Various reports and industry insiders indicated that Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf was frequently cited as a benchmark for McLaurin’s expectations. Following a trade during the offseason, the Steelers offered Metcalf a four-year contract worth $33 million annually, along with $60 million guaranteed.
Washington’s decision-makers were concerned about McLaurin’s age, as he will be 31 when this extension kicks in, which is around the age when receivers often begin their decline. The Commanders emphasize analytics heavily, and among the 24 active receivers who have received the most guaranteed money, only one, Tyreek Hill with the Miami Dolphins, was 30 or older at the time of signing.
Moreover, Washington wanted to avoid setting a precedent they viewed as overpaying to keep a player, as they have several prominent athletes due for expensive contracts next offseason, including tackle Laremy Tunsil, linebacker Frankie Luvu, and possibly cornerback Marshon Lattimore and receiver Deebo Samuel.
By keeping McLaurin for this season and beyond, the Commanders ensure that quarterback Jayden Daniels has his top target when the season kicks off. The duo developed a solid connection during last season’s camp, which continued into 2024, when McLaurin recorded 82 receptions for 1,096 yards. His 13 touchdowns were just one shy of his total from the prior three years combined.
When targeting McLaurin, Daniels registered a Total QBR of 90.6 (out of 100). Out of the 12 passes that resulted in 30 or more yards caught by wide receivers, six were completed to McLaurin.
