Terry McLaurin enters defining stage of Commanders contract standoff

Terry McLaurin was conspicuous by his absence during the Washington Commanders' second preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Northwest Stadium. And now, the wide receiver faces another pivotal moment in his ongoing contract dispute with the franchise.

Fans were irked by McLaurin not showing up to support his teammates on Monday Night Football. The Commanders announced that the absence was excused, but it was understandable for people to be skeptical. After all, the wide receiver is not happy with his current predicament and has taken every drastic measure imaginable to force the issue on his extension this offseason to no avail.

McLaurin was officially activated from the physically unable to perform list. That didn't come with any immediate practice participation before Washington's latest warmup engagement, so all eyes are on Ashburn to see what might unfold this week.

Commanders and Terry McLaurin face another pivotal moment in contract dispute

There isn't much time for McLaurin to get back into the groove. He's not practiced with his teammates for months. While the former third-round pick out of Ohio State is staying in shape, there is no substitute for practice and game reps to hone your craft. He should know that better than anybody.

Of course, getting back onto the practice field without a new deal would be a concession from McLaurin's standpoint. That's something he's been unwilling to do throughout this ongoing distraction, so it would be surprising to see after coming this far.

Everyone is becoming frustrated. Superstar quarterback Jayden Daniels is confident that McLaurin will be back soon. At the same time, insider reports still suggest that there has been no legitimate progress made in talks between the player's representatives and general manager Adam Peters.

This week's practices will be emotional for those who are perhaps spending their last few days with the organization before being cut. But the sight of McLaurin on the field for the first time since early offseason workouts would give everyone a massive boost at the perfect moment.

McLaurin isn't in the business of sentiment where his money is concerned. He wants to be paid the going rate and hasn't budged so far. Peters is also dug in, unwilling to pay more than $30 million per season on a deal that won't start until the second-team All-Pro is 31 years old.

Crunch time has officially arrived. And we'll find a lot more about where McLaurin's head is right now by his actions in the coming days.

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