'Cooler Heads Should Prevail' In Commanders' Terry McLaurin Contract Saga

The Washington Commanders appear to be just fine with letting Terry McLaurin's contract situation dominate the headlines when it has no reason to.

With McLaurin publicly stating how frustrated he was with negotiations between he and the franchise, McLaurin has already held out of OTAs and minicamp as he searches for a new deal.

Some think he could be traded away (we don't see it), and with training camp just around the corner this week, it looms as a line in the sand moment for Terry, considering he'll be fined for not attending.

For ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on SportsCenter on Saturday, McLaurin won't be anywhere other than Washington in 2025.

"The wide receiver market has jumped into that $30 million range," Fowler said on SportsCenter. "My sense is McLaurin feels Washington hasn't really been willing to acknowledge that. So if they're not, it's almost like he's taking a pay decrease because he's a year from free agency. Cooler heads should prevail. They want McLaurin there. They're not trading McLaurin. That was made clear to me from a source of the team."

Hmm. They want McLaurin, but only want him on their terms. Sounds about right.

For a player who has given everything to the franchise in its darkest times and was the ultimate professional and has established himself as a star in the league, it seems more than reasonable for McLaurin to ask for what he's reportedly asking for.

A deal worth roughly $30 million APY is more than fair, yet the Commanders seem content to let this thing play out. Washington has a little over $21 million in cap space, so a few restructures are all it would take to get a deal done.

The longer this goes on, the more sour it becomes, and for a team that has Super Bowl ambitions, not having its No. 1 weapon for a full preseason is problematic.

But the Commanders only have themselves to blame.