Jets Should Avoid Trade For Unhappy Commanders Star

Ominous publicity out of the Washington Commanders’ camp has New York Jets fans envisioning a dream scenario.

With superstar wideout Garrett Wilson now signed to a massive extension, some Jets fans might be imagining a pairing of Wilson with another former Ohio State Buckeye: Terry McLaurin.

McLaurin’s contract negotiations with the Commanders haven’t been going well. The 29-year-old Pro Bowler hasn’t been afraid to voice his displeasure, either. 

“I've been pretty frustrated, not gonna lie,” McLaurin said this week about the contract dispute, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. “Everything that has transpired to this point has been pretty frustrating and disappointing.”

Schultz also relayed that, “Terry McLaurin says he hasn’t thought about playing elsewhere or anything to that extent, but admits there’s been a lot of confusion, and he wants to feel valued and appreciated.”

“It’s clear he doesn’t feel that way right now,” Schultz added.

McLaurin is entering the final season of a three-year, $68.2 million deal he inked in 2022. Will Washington get an extension done with McLaurin before optics get even worse for the franchise? Plenty of receiver-needy teams will be monitoring the situation. McLaurin has tallied 460 receptions for 6,379 yards and 38 touchdowns in his career; his ability to produce at a high level is not in doubt.

Despite McLaurin’s potential availability creating a tempting situation for the Jets, this is a situation New York should avoid for two reasons. First, from a financial perspective, McLaurin’s going to demand (and deserve) a massive payday soon, whether that’s an extension in the coming days or a new deal after the season, and the Jets just committed $90 million of guaranteed money to another receiver on Monday. Investing more than a quarter-billion dollars in one position isn’t a great path to building a balanced roster, but that’s exactly what might befall the Jets if they decided to pair McLaurin with Wilson.

Secondly, from a culture standpoint, McLaurin isn’t a sure bet. Despite his frustrations with the Commanders’ front office, he’s expressed a commitment to Washington and clearly wants to stay there. If he were traded from Washington to somewhere else, especially to a rebuilding situation like the Jets, who knows what kind of state of mind he’d be in entering the 2025 season?

The Jets shouldn’t consider going after McLaurin, even if things with Washington get ugly.