Terry McLaurin draws firm line as the Commanders risk locker room fracture

In just his second season in the league, Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin made the kind of play that football coaches at every level put on a reel when they want to define the proper way to compete.

It was late in the third quarter of a game against the arch-rival Dallas Cowboys. Both teams were bad that year, entering the contest with identical 3-7 records. However, the entire NFC East was, so they were still in playoff contention.

Washington held a 20-13 lead with a little more than four minutes to go in the quarter. They had the ball at midfield, looking to extend the lead when disaster struck. Alex Smith was hit as he threw, and the ball fluttered out of his hand right to Jaylon Smith, one of the fastest linebackers in the NFL, with a clear path to the end zone.

J.D. McKissic appeared to be the only Washington player with a prayer of stopping him, and he was being blocked. Then, out of nowhere, McLaurin ran Smith down and tackled him inside the 10-yard line.

Washington’s defense held Dallas to a field goal. They pulled away in the fourth quarter for a big win on their way to the division title.

Commanders teammates are watching Terry McLaurin's contract battle closely

That’s the kind of play McLaurin has been making since he arrived in 2019.

It showed that McLaurin wasn’t just fast. He was tough as they come, and he never gave up on a play.

There have been plenty of times when McLaurin could have given up over the past seven years. Many of the Commanders' best players — from Trent Williams to Brandon Scherff and Jonathan Allen — did just that.

In McLaurin’s case, it would have been even more understandable. As a receiver, he was entirely dependent on having a good quarterback. Until Jayden Daniels arrived, the Commanders did not provide that.

McLaurin is now being punished for that franchise failure. His numbers aren’t quite as gaudy as the league’s elite. It took him a long time to get the recognition he deserved. Now, when the wideout is asking to be compensated commensurate with his production, his age becomes a factor.

One thing Adam Peters is well aware of is that the rest of the team is watching. His teammates have expressed universal love and support for McLaurin. A few weeks ago, Jeremy Reaves, who has been with the club even longer, publicly praised his long-time teammate.

“The proof on the tape and how you show up to work every day.” Reaves is well aware of how McLaurin’s leadership has gotten into the bloodstream of the entire team. No one in the locker room — not a single player — is happy with the way this dispute is playing out.

Most players prefer to keep their heads down and avoid this type of controversy. If they say anything at all, they tend to express support for their teammate while also reiterating that the NFL is a business and needs to function as such.

Still, losing McLaurin is bound to have an impact in more than one way. First and foremost — at least in the short term — it is going to impact Jayden Daniels. You do not remove a quarterback’s best receiver without consequences. Just ask C.J. Stroud what it was like playing in his second year without Nico Collins for five games.

But that isn’t the most dangerous part of this situation for the Commanders. If the younger players see how a franchise icon like McLaurin is being shunted aside, then it becomes much harder to get them to buy into what Dan Quinn and the coaches are preaching.

It is hard to sell a message of family when there is a perception that one of your favorite relatives is being mistreated.

If Daniels throws fewer touchdown passes in 2025 because McLaurin is not playing, the team might be able to scheme around that. But if the signal-caller finds his extraordinary passion for his club waning because of locker room division, that becomes a bigger problem. And a much harder one to solve.

There are times when teams grow closer together in times of adversity. Washington experienced that back in 2007, after the tragic death of Sean Taylor. In that case, the trouble came from outside forces. Washington could adopt the “us against the world” mindset. That will not be possible now, when the conflict is internally generated.

McLaurin has been a highly productive performer for the Commanders during his tenure, and he has always played the game the right way. His work ethic and enthusiasm are unsurpassed. Peters needs to work out some kind of deal to prove to the locker room that such characteristics will be rewarded.

That is the only way to build a cohesive roster that fights together.  

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