Jayden Daniels is most impacted by Terry McLaurin's contract dilemma, and it's easy to see why

The Washington Commanders have spent all offseason going all-in on building around Jayden Daniels, but he can actually be the one who loses the most if the Commanders don't figure out something soon with Terry McLaurin. 

Daniels took the NFL by storm, and completed arguably the greatest rookie season by a quarterback in the league's history, and a major part of his rookie campaign was building an impactful connection with McLaurin. The Commanders' shocking appearance in the NFC Championship game was anchored by a season full of highlight-reel-worthy plays, and game-winners between Jayden and Terry. 

Once Daniels threw the game-winning bomb to McLaurin in the final minutes of Monday Night Football against the Bengals, the two never looked back at making big plays together. 

McLaurin is obviously frustrated, per his own words. The lack of clarity has really bothered him and Daniels has made it clear that he supports his top wideout as the situation continue to roll on. 

Terry knows how special the duo is, and their connection can grow even more

"We've had a lot of great conversations. . . It's great to have his support honestly, and to know he has my back, and to see how we've grown in our relationship," McLaurin told reporters Tuesday after a commercial shoot. "Not just on the field, but off the field, and to know the value you bring to your quarterback, and to know that he sees and feels that, that means a lot to me. It really does, and he knows I got his back too, not just on the field, but as a person too. . .

"Him and I haven't scratched the surface as what we can do as a duo. You know what I mean?. . . We had a slow start to the season, we had some hiccups, but we were cooking by the end of the year. . . I mean, I feel like with the additions that have been made as well, like that is only going to help everything. But I know what I bring to the table, and I feel like he does too, and I truly believe we need each other, and so we'll see where it goes from there. I'm gonna continue to talk to him."

McLaurin is absolutely correct. He had his best season as a pro with Daniels at the helm and there's no reason to think the train stops rolling in 2025. The only thing that would make that happen, well, is if McLaurin isn't available for training camp, the preseason, or even part of the regular season.

But here's the stinger with McLaurin's comments: He and Daniels got off to a great start before the two-time Pro Bowler opted to stop coming to practice. That chemistry was getting to the next level, but now, it's stymied due to the overall situation.

"That's the thing, before I took a step back, things were going great on the field," said McLaurin. "The connection [with] the offense, the energy was just amazing. And so to see where it was then and where it is now is definitely disappointing. So I don't necessarily know what happens next, but without any progressive discussions, it's kind of hard to see how I step on the field."