Commanders can silence pre-camp drama with a feel-good move fans will love

Just when everything was going right for the Washington Commanders franchise, it's back to the absolute last place it needs to be: embroiled in off-field controversy.

When Josh Harris purchased the team in 2023, it marked the dawning of a new day. Finally, Washington could be free from the endless dysfunction that Dan Snyder brought, and the organization's focus was returning to gridiron glory.

The Commanders took a major step in that direction this past season with their stunning run to the NFC Championship game. In the ensuing months, they were awarded the 2027 NFL Draft and announced plans to build a new arena at the RFK Stadium site.

But those plans have been unfortunately put on hold. President Donald Trump wants to get involved by threatening to block the deal if the team doesn't switch back to its former branding.

Things are getting ugly. You know what that means?

It's time to pay Terry McLaurin.

Commanders could use some good news to shift the energy as training camp begins

Lost in all of the commotion of the past few days is that one of Washington's biggest stars has been holding out for a new deal all offseason. McLaurin is likely to remain away from the team through at least the start of training camp if no agreement is reached beforehand.

That could change as quickly as Adam Peters wants it to. And there's no better time for him to pick up the phone than right now.

The stadium controversy isn't going to go away anytime soon. At this rate, who knows how messy it could get? It will likely dominate most of the headlines involving the team for at least the next several weeks, when all Washington fans want to hear about is a promising season of football ahead.

Unfortunately, there's nothing anybody involved with the team can do to make this situation go away. But they can certainly make life easier on themselves on the field, all while providing fans with at least a temporary positive distraction.

Harris and company have worked tirelessly since their arrival to eliminate the negative energy surrounding this franchise. Nothing would lift spirits in D.C. like the affirmation that the front office values their favorite players as much as fans do.

With veterans set to report to Ashburn on Tuesday, Washington can be presented with the best possible training camp gift imaginable by signing McLaurin to a long-term contract extension, all but guaranteeing he one day retires as a Commander for life.

More Commanders news and analysis