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Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17). Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Why Commanders believe Terry McLaurin can beat age curve

Originally posted on Washington Commanders on SI
By David Harrison | Last updated Aug 28, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Terry McLaurin isn’t dodging the idea that a 30-year-old receiver doesn’t typically produce at as high a level as he once did prior to hitting the age milestone. So, when public discourse focused on the Washington Commanders star’s age, he didn’t blame them; he only wished they’d seen how his path to 30 sets him up for more success than those who came before him.

As he sees it, the road that led him to where he is today as the Commanders’ No. 1 target is the same one that will help ensure that he can continue to be that weapon and earn the potentially top-five receiver contract he just signed this week.

The Outlier Argument

“Obviously, there's analytics, there's stats, there's history that can point to try to give people an idea of this trend or what 30-year-old receivers, how they progress at that stage of their careers,” the Washington star acknowledged. “I think certain people, there’s outliers, there's people who may not necessarily fit in that set of data.”

“Fortunately, enough for me, I'm only going into my seventh season,” McLaurin continued. “A lot of, well, multiple guys are maybe in that situation, they're in years 9, 10, 11 maybe... I've also been blessed to never had a surgery or any major injury that's inhibited me to continue to play at a high level.”

And he has a point.

Less Wear and Tear

When you look at the wear and tear he’s accumulated compared to most receivers turning 30, McLaurin’s is significantly less. Because of that, not only did he have arguably his best season in 2024, when he turned 29, he didn’t appear to be slowing down at all when the season came to an end just one game before the Super Bowl.

Part of McLaurin’s healthy run has been a dose of luck, certainly, but there’s a lot of work he puts into making sure his body is right, and stays right, for the demands of playing in the NFL.

"As much as I put work in on the field, I do it equally off the field... I see the game a lot differently than I did when I was 24. And so that allows me to be a step ahead mentally, and then physically, I still play at a high level.”

Considering how much of McLaurin’s new contract is contingent upon him proving he can be that outlier he spoke of, we might get the impression that the Commanders’ front office doesn’t quite believe in it as much as the receiver does himself.

The Front Office Agrees

General manager Adam Peters says that isn’t the truth, stating instead about the deal, “We wanted to do that because we believe in him, and we believe in that he can play into his thirties based on what he is shown us how durable he is been, how hard he works, how much, how well he takes care of his body. So, we signed a three-year extension, so he is under contract for four years, and I don't think anybody up here or in that locker room would be surprised if he plays all four of those.”

Whether he does or not is something only time can show us. For now, we get the privilege of looking forward to another year. One where McLaurin says, “in January, I ran like a 60-yard screen for a touchdown, and my speed hasn't diminished at all... I have no concerns at all physically that I'll be able to continue to play at an extremely high level and continue to reach new heights.”