Why the Commanders had no choice but to pay Terry McLaurin 

After an offseason full of drama, the Washington Commanders finally came to their senses on Monday. They gave into Terry McLaurin's demands and agreed to a new three-year extension with the veteran wide receiver. 

McLaurin, who was set to make about $19 million in 2025, is now more on par with his peers. As first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Commanders awarded McLaurin, who will turn 30 on Sept. 15, a new deal that's worth $96 million with a $30 million signing bonus. 

So despite coming off stubborn for months, this resolution shows the Commanders knew McLaurin was really the one with all the leverage. 

And while every team vs. player contract negotiation is different, the Commanders vs. McLaurin was always pretty cut and dry. 

McLaurin's previous contract did not align with where his production placed him among the top wide receivers in the NFL. 

A third round pick out of Ohio State in the 2019 NFL Draft, McLaurin has 460 receptions for 6,379 yards with 38 touchdowns through six NFL seasons. He's also proven to be one of the most consistent players in football, amassing over 1,000 yards in five consecutive seasons. 

In comparison, the Steelers presented DK Metcalf with a new extension upon trading for him back in Marc h. Metcalf signed a four-year, $132 million deal with Pittsburgh. 

Metcalf, 27, will make an average annual salary of $33 million while McLaurin is set to bank $32 million per year. So McLaurin is still a bit below a player he can argue having the edge in production over, likely due to his slightly advanced age. 

Metcalf, who was drafted in the second round of the same 2019 draft, has caught 438 passes for 6,324 yards and 48 touchdowns. Metcalf has only surpassed 1,000 yards in three of his six seasons. 

McLaurin also stepped up once finally playing with an elite quarterback. Taking his game to another level along side NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, McLaurin found the end zone 13 times in 2024, a big jump from the nine he posted the prior two years combined. 

The Commanders simply couldn't afford to break up the combination of McLaurin and Daniels as they hope to reach the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance since January of 1992. 

Fortunately for Washington, Daniels is on a rookie deal, which means it is able to avoid having to back the Brink's truck for him for several years. But saving money on a franchise caliber quarterback ruined any attempt for the Commanders to be cheap with McLaurin. 

Instead, Washington realized it had a unique opportunity to build around Daniels within the confines of the NFL's salary cap, something that will become increasingly difficult once Daniels needs a new mega deal of his own. 

Based on the pressure on the Commanders' ownership to cash in on their current window, they were forced to give McLaurin what he wanted. In fact, they should be thankful he didn't ask for more.