WASHINGTON D.C. -- The Washington Commanders have recently been in the news as their star wide receiver in Terry McLaurin was a no-show at practice due to what is believed to be concerns with his contract. Entering the final year of his rookie extension, McLaurin is sure to be a highly paid wideout next offseason. It is likely that the Commanders will be the ones re-signing him, but the Pittsburgh Steelers have been named as possible suitors for him.
That, in my opinion, is not only unlikely to happen but would be a bad idea for the Steelers organization.
First, the Steelers will be unlikely to be able to afford McLaurin's lofty contract when it comes to next season. With a current $31.1 million market value according to contract aggregator Spotrac, McLaurin would be just as costly as new wideout DK Metcalf, and would cause nearly 22% of the available cap space to be spent on two wide receivers.
Second, both Metcalf and McLaurin slot in as the top wide receiver for their respective teams, and it is possible it could cause conflicting personalities if one of the two has to take a backseat.
If done as a trade, the Steelers would have to offer a hefty amount of both player and draft capital for McLaurin, as the Commanders hold the leverage of being possible Super Bowl contenders and are unlikely to be willing to take on projects. The Steelers would have to offer seasoned veterans, probably of a high caliber such as Alex Highsmith, in order to land McLaurin.
Simply put, it makes little sense for the Steelers to make a move for a receiver who they are unable to afford, in both a money and team capital sense. They would likely cause more issues for little increase in overall team success.
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