Ian Rapoport’s latest comment on Terry McLaurin’s contract with the Washington Commanders, ‘I’m not put off…’

Terry McLaurin’s third contract extension is complicated, as the two sides can’t agree on the value

There is no doubt that Terry McLaurin deserves a new contract in Washington. He has been through the thick of it, enduring multiple losing seasons and several years without winning a playoff game.

Prior to Jayden Daniels‘ arrival, McLaurin had recorded four-straight 1,000-yard seasons, despite a variety of starting quarterbacks and sub-par football on the offensive side of the ball.

That all changed in 2024, when Jayden Daniels took the league by storm as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, putting together one of the best seasons any first-year QB has ever had.

The Commanders made it all the way to the NFC Championship game, and now they’re going all in. They have multiple years to capitalize on Daniels’ rookie contract, meaning their time to win a Super Bowl is right now.

Ideally, that Super Bowl push doesn’t involve trading your prize wide receiver to another franchise.

The complication comes down to the price of the wide receiver market mixed with Terry McLaurin’s age. The playmaker will turn 30 during the upcoming season, and is likely looking to sign a four-year deal.

New deals this offseason included the $33 million per year that DK Metcalf got with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the $32.5 million per year Garrett Wilson landed in his extension with the New York Jets.

At this point, it’s very unlikely the Commanders will get their man for less than $30 million per season, given his production in recent years and the current trend of the market.

While sitting down on the Bleav in Commanders podcast with Scott Jackson, Ian Rapoport provided an update on the situation:

“Third contracts are tough, and he’s obviously older. Garrett Wilson’s getting $32.5, and I think that’s a great deal, maybe that’s something that can help Terry McLaurin as far as making the case. But Terry McLaurin’s a lot older, these are not apples to apples.”

Rapoport continued:

“I’m sure he’s going to want over $30 million. A lot of the really good receivers are using that benchmark now. We’ll see if he gets there.”

The insider also commented on the fact that there’s been no communication between McLaurin and the franchise, something the wide receiver said he was frustrated by this summer:

“I’m not put off by Washington not talking to Terry through the summer, usually that’s when everybody’s away. I know he wants a deal, I definitely get it, he wants it sooner rather than later. I do believe there’s a good chance it gets done, but it’s not abnormal to not have really talked over the course of the summer.”

Terry McLaurin’s current contract and expected cost of a new deal with the Commanders

Terry McLaurin is currently under contract for one more season, which would mean he hits free agency at the end of the 2025 campaign. He signed the extension in 2022, which was a three-year deal valued at a total of $68.3 million.

The urgency to get a deal done from both sides is to avoid that situation. The Commanders won’t want to lose him for nothing, and McLaurin won’t want to risk hitting free agency without any guaranteed money as a 30+ year old receiver.

Rich Eisen has urged the franchise to get it figured out this week too, citing the importance of the receiver to their playoff push.

The only two outcomes from here are either a new deal, which is the most likely, or he gets traded.

According to Spotrac, his new contract should be in the region of $31.1 million per year, which comes in just under the recent deal Garrett Wilson signed with the Jets.