Commanders get ideal outlier for Terry McLaurin’s deal (and it's not Garrett Wilson)

The Washington Commanders' offseason was supposed to be nothing but victories off the field and hope and optimism on it. After all, the team is looking to capitalize on its storybook run to the NFC Championship game during the 2024 campaign.

Instead, drama has manifested in recent weeks as star wide receiver Terry McLaurin holds out in pursuit of a new contract. His current three-year, $68 million deal is set to expire after 2025. After a second-team All-Pro campaign in which he caught a career-high 13 touchdowns, the gifted pass-catcher wants a significant raise.

Both sides are likely going to need to concede some ground to get this done. There's also a very reasonable price range that they should be able to agree upon.

And the outlier doesn't center on Garrett Wilson's recent extension with the New York Jets.

Commanders' ideal Terry McLaurin deal should be just over $30 million per year

Gary Davenport from The Bleacher Report examined potential extension candidates around the NFL before Week 1, with McLaurin's situation heavily featured. In the post, he suggests that Washington should pay him $31 million for four years, splitting the annual salary just between A.J. Brown's $32 million and Amon-Ra St. Brown's $30 million.

It's certainly a reasonable price, though McLaurin and/or Adam Peters don't see it that way.

From the receiver's perspective, it's understandable for him to want to cash in as much as possible, knowing that his stock may never be higher. For the team, it's that same logic that provides an argument against breaking the bank for McLaurin, as an overpay would handcuff the rest of the roster.

According to the article, it was recently reported by James Palmer that McLaurin is not seeking Ja'Marr Chase's money (upwards of $40 million per season), but that there is still a significant gap between player and team. More concerningly, it appears that little, if any, progress has been made in the past month since his holdout began.

That can quickly change once training camp starts, should McLaurin's situation reach the point where it is damaging the team's abilities on the field. He has been known throughout his career as an ideal leader and teammate, and has been loyal to Washington through thick and thin. He knows the Commanders have a window they must capitalize on, and surely he'd hate to miss the opportunity to be a part of it.

Peters and company know this as well. Perhaps it's part of why they haven't budged just yet. But let's end this cute little charade already.

Give McLaurin the $30-plus million payday he deserves, and be done with it.

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