Terry McLaurin finally blinks and Commanders fans know what’s next

Veteran wide receiver Terry McLaurin is back in the facility after ending his contract holdout. The Washington Commanders were thrilled to welcome the two-time Pro Bowler into the fold, albeit on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from an ankle issue.

McLaurin blinked first, perhaps surprisingly to some. And it's brought fresh hope that a lucrative contract extension is going to be sealed sooner rather than later.

It's been an arduous journey to get to this point, and doubts were growing across the national media. McLaurin felt disrespected and undervalued enough by the Commanders to take drastic action regarding his deal. Second-year general manager Adam Peters didn't budge initially, although the front-office leader revealed that discussions were ongoing with his representatives after radio silence for over a month.

Commanders could be closer than ever to extending Terry McLaurin

Now, enough growth in discussions has been made for McLaurin to show up. And the fact that he won't be incurring any more fines of $50,000 per day is the icing on the cake from the player's perspective.

McLaurin's ankle injury is something to monitor. Washington's medical team will take every possible precaution with just a few weeks remaining until the team's Week 1 opener against the New York Giants. But the fact that the second-team All-Pro is getting the right treatment now should help keep complications to a minimum.

The collective sigh of relief from fans upon hearing McLaurin ended his holdout spoke for itself. They want one of their franchise cornerstones leading the charge once again in 2025 as the Commanders look to reach the Super Bowl. They want him to get another deal and potentially finish his career in Washington. They want the beloved figure back where he belongs.

Peters and McLaurin's representatives are still navigating the finer details of his contract extension. He wants to be paid among the league's best at north of $30 million per year. The Commanders have been reluctant to meet these demands, given it's his third contract and he'll be 30 years old in September. Both sides were at loggerheads, but they always had one overall objective in mind.

McLaurin said that he'd find it difficult to show up for training camp unless strides were being made during talks. Official information hasn't been made public, but the wideout's actions tell their own story.

Hopefully, the next positive development involves McLaurin getting another bumper payday from the Commanders. Nothing else will do.

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