Terry McLaurin, the star wideout of the Washington Commanders, just signed up for an exciting three-year extension. This deal could be worth up to $96 million! The deal, negotiated right before the start of the new NFL regular season, features a $30 million signing bonus. Overall, this deal locks in McLaurin as one of the franchise’s most important offensive players for years to come. He battled through and frustrated offseason hurdles to get here.
McLaurin will be 31 by the beginning of the extension’s final year. He is at a key crossroads in his career. Unprecedented at this age, historically this is about the time when most receivers start to decline in production. Every time McLaurin gets a chance to jump off the screen, he takes advantage of that opportunity. He’s been over 1,000 receiving yards for five straight seasons! He caught 82 balls last year for 1,096 yards. He found the end zone 13 times, one fewer than his combined total over the rest of his three-year career.
Despite his on-field success, McLaurin’s offseason was marred by conflict with the Commanders’ front office regarding his contract value. During a half-hour news conference on July 15, Quintero didn’t bite his tongue and aired his grievances. He said he was deeply disappointed at the breakdown in talks. He even formally requested a trade on July 31, but the Commanders refused to engage that possibility.
Aside from contract disputes, McLaurin’s participation in the training camp was limited by the fiscal repercussions. He was docked $304,768 in fines for failing to report to required off-season workouts, practices and minicamps. He was initially on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list due to an ankle injury that he suffered late last season. He was activated on August 16th.
The receiver’s performance metrics highlight his importance to the team. He had the highest percentage of his receptions (19.4 percent) go for 30 yards or more last season. That was half of all such passes completed by Washington’s wide receivers. His chemistry with QB Jayden Daniels has been highly impressive. When targeting McLaurin, Daniels produced a Total QBR of 90.6, emphasizing their impressive on-field connection.
McLaurin can’t wait to begin this exciting new chapter with the Commanders. Since being selected in the third round of the 2019 draft, he’s been one of the franchise’s most productive offensive players. His new contract certainly reflects that talent and the individual contributions he brings. It further demonstrates the Commanders’ long-term commitment to constructing a competitive team in front of him.
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