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Patriots Floated as Trade Partner for $68 Million All-Pro Wide Receiver

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Dible | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 12:05 PM ET

The New England Patriots spent big to acquire wide receiver Stefon Diggs during the offseason, but the group of pass catchers around second-year quarterback Drake Maye could still use considerable upgrades.

One answer to supplement a depth chart otherwise comprised of players such as DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, Kendrick Bourne and third-round rookie Kyle Williams is to attempt to trade for Washington Commanders wideout Terry McLaurin.

McLaurin is entering the final season of his three-year, $68 million contract in 2025 and will play the upcoming campaign at the age of 30. He is looking for a new extension this summer, and Spotrac projects his market value at $93 million over a new three-year deal.

Those discussions remain at an impasse with roughly one month to go before training camp, which led Kristopher Knox to list the Second-Team All-Pro receiver as the No. 9 player on Bleacher Report's post-minicamp trade block big board.

With good deep speed, great route skills and a knack for finding space in the secondary, McLaurin would be a tremendous asset for any team looking to develop a young signal-caller. Of course, that's precisely why Washington won't be eager to let him go.

Still, there's a non-zero chance that a contract standoff forces the Commanders to make a drastic move. ... New England has a promising second-year quarterback in Drake Maye who could use a reliable pass-catcher like McLaurin.

McLaurin is a two-time Pro Bowler over the past three seasons and has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in his last five NFL campaigns. He put up 919 receiving yards during his rookie season.

The presence of second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels on the Commanders' roster should highly incentivize the team to get a deal done with its star receiver, though Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reported in early June that McLaurin is "frustrated" with the ongoing negotiation process.

New England has as much need as it does incentive to add another top-flight wideout, not to mention nearly $60.7 million in available salary cap space as of Monday, June 23.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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