Commanders insider quiets Terry McLaurin contract panic with promising intel

The Washington Commanders and Terry McLaurin have yet to reach an agreement regarding a lucrative contract extension ahead of time. His absence from practice last week raised some red flags, but one team insider remains confident things will get worked out without much issue.

McLaurin's importance to the Commanders cannot be overstated. The wide receiver is among the league's best. He took his game to new heights with quarterback Jayden Daniels leading the charge in 2024 and is the undisputed alpha in the locker room for good measure. This is the sort of player Washington should be building around, even though he'll turn 30 later this year.

Adam Peters highlighted an intent to get something worked out with McLaurin. The former third-round pick out of Ohio State loves the franchise and wants to stay. The business part is more complicated, but the end goal should be pretty straightforward.

Commanders insider believes Terry McLaurin will get his new deal

Ben Standig from The Athletic held a similar opinion. The insider revealed that unless McLaurin's age becomes a factor, the player's traits and previous production represent everything positive Washington is trying to portray. That should be rewarded accordingly.

Unless [Terry] McLaurin’s age (30 in September) becomes an outsized factor — Tyreek Hill (31) is the only receiver among the 15 highest paid older than the 2024 second-team All-Pro — the eventual deal will likely fall somewhere between annual salaries for Tee Higgins ($28.75 million) and D.K. Metcalf ($33 million). We keep hearing that [Adam] Peters and coach Dan Quinn have now identified the desired player traits. If McLaurin, a proven locker room leader who is coming off a career-high 13 touchdowns, isn’t the poster child, who is?Ben Standig

It's a promising outlook. One that every fan will hope becomes a reality sooner rather than later.

McLaurin won't want this situation to drag on. All eyes will be on the practice field on Tuesday to see if the wideout is participating with his teammates at OTAs. If not, it'll only raise the stakes further for Peters to get this situation resolved at the earliest possible opportunity.

The last thing Washington needs is McLaurin holding out. He's professional enough to prepare effectively away from the team, but it's not ideal. It also sends out the wrong message, so doing right by the player is crucial.

Peters is running the Commanders with a business-first mindset. McLaurin's importance cannot be overstated, but the front-office leader is always thinking two steps ahead. He might be hesitant to part ways with $30 million per season or more due to his age, which would be a mistake.

This is already becoming a distraction the Commanders don't need. McLaurin's more than earned another financial commitment. Just get it done.

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