What is 'biggest sticking point' in contract standoff between Terry McLaurin, Commanders?

As of Wednesday morning, the Washington Commanders and Terry McLaurin remained in a contract standoff. The 29-year-old wide receiver, in the final year of his current deal, requested a trade on July 31. 

Team reporter John Keim of ESPN shared "why the two sides remain so far apart" regarding a possible agreement.

"[Age] likely remains the biggest sticking point because it frames the argument for Washington," Keim explained. "McLaurin will turn 30 on Sept. 15, which means he'd be 31 when an extension begins. The Commanders rely heavily on analytics, and the numbers aren't kind to receivers at that age. According to ESPN Research, over the past five seasons, only three receivers 31 years or older have played at least 10 games and averaged 70-plus receiving yards per game; six have averaged 60-plus."

Previous reports indicated that McLaurin wants "parts" of the five-year, $150M deal that the Pittsburgh Steelers gave DK Metcalf in March after the Steelers acquired him from the Seattle Seahawks. To compare, Metcalf will turn 28 on Dec. 14. 

"One league source said he could see the Commanders eventually agreeing to pay $28M per year," Keim noted. "...According to various reports and multiple sources, DK Metcalf's contract has served as a guide for McLaurin — though whether that's in terms of average per year ($33M) or total guarantees ($60M) remains uncertain."

Keim added that "multiple team sources" have insisted that the Commanders, coming off a trip to this year's NFC Championship Game, won't trade McLaurin for a future draft asset this summer. 

While playing with quarterback and reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, McLaurin notched team highs of 82 receptions and 1,096 receiving yards last season. Only Cincinnati Bengals superstar Ja'Marr Chase recorded more touchdown catches (17) than McLaurin (13) during the 2024 campaign. 

"[Daniels] averaged 13.4 air yards per attempt to McLaurin, and six of his 12 passes that gained 30 yards or more went to the wideout," Keim pointed out. "Daniels posted a 90.6 quarterback rating (on the 100 scale) when targeting McLaurin."

On Wednesday, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Commanders sixth among the betting favorites (tied with the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers) at +2000 odds to win Super Bowl LX this coming February. 

The fact that Washington wouldn't be able to find a direct replacement for McLaurin before 2026 will likely give him millions of reasons to take the field against the New York Giants in Week 1 on Sept. 7.