Terry McLaurin, the embattled wideout of the Washington Commanders, reported to Washington’s training camp on Sunday. Yet he showed up without a new contract. It’s a significant blow to the 29-year-old player, who had been designated to the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. He is recovering from a torn ankle ligament and turns 30 in September. This unfortunate news casts some serious doubt on his health and contract situation as the season draws closer.
Since being drafted by the franchise as a third-round selection in 2019, McLaurin has emerged as Washington’s premier receiver. He has more than 1,000 receiving yards in five straight seasons. Through the 2024 season, he made a career-high and league-leading 13 touchdown receptions that season, trailing only DJ Moore’s 14 TD catches. For all he’s done, McLaurin is looking for a significant contract extension with only one year left on his current deal.
Earlier this month, McLaurin signaled pretty definitively that he was opposed to that. He won’t be the one stepping foot on the field without concrete progress on a new contract. He is adamant that contract re-evaluations should be done on a “case-by-case” basis. He has yet to announce what kind of contract he’s seeking.
As bad blood continued to boil during negotiations, McLaurin racked up $200,000 of fines for being late to the first day of training camp. He was threatened with $50,000 per day in fines until he showed up.
And on Thursday, Coach Dan Quinn spoke to McLaurin’s situation during the weekly press conference, reiterating how much the team wants him there. “Make no mistake, every single person in this building has a high appreciation for Terry,” said General Manager Adam Peters. McLaurin spilled the beans that McLaurin was on the PUP list. During well-earned break, he’ll be training with the other trainers and continuing his recovery from his broken ankle.
“On the business side, [GM Adam Peters] and the guys are still working hard with Terry and his reps,” – Dan Quinn.
The Commanders view McLaurin as an integral part of their franchise. It’s not just his performance on the field—a brilliant tactician on every level of the game—his inspiring leadership qualities that makes him indispensable. He was recognized by his teammates as a captain during the postseason last year and is considered a team leader within the locker room.
Peters recognized the challenges of contract negotiations in today’s hyper-competitive market. He noted, “You’d like to get these things done quicker, but it doesn’t always happen that way.”
McLaurin finally put to rest this talk about his contract. He said, “Considering the state of the market today, it’s what players with my level of performance should be paid.”
McLaurin is making continued progress on the road to recovery from his injury. In the meantime, everybody continues to watch his contract situation and how it will inform his position for the 2018 season. So the Commanders understand they need to get this situation sorted ASAP. After all, they are the premier North Star state, cherry on top, tundra swamp–us doubles champions.
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