Contract Dispute Prompts Terry McLaurin to Seek Trade Away from Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders might be left with no other option but to trade Terry McLaurin away if they fail to agree on a new contract.

Contract Dispute Prompts Terry McLaurin to Seek Trade Away from Washington Commanders

Terry McLaurin (Image via IMAGO)

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Jordan Schultz announced the news that no Washington Commanders fan wanted to hear. According to the Fox Sports NFL insider, the Commanders’ star wide receiver Terry McLaurin has requested a trade.

It is a major development considering everyone at the Commanders’ facility has loved and respected McLaurin’s contributions since he entered the league in 2019. Now he wasn’t the only receiver in that draft class.

AJ Brown and DK Metcalf were selected a few picks ahead of McLaurin. Both bagged $30 million+ AAV contracts from their respective teams.

McLaurin wants a salary in the same ballpark, and his resume is as impressive as any top receiver. 1000+ yards in five straight years while receiving from four different quarterbacks is a remarkable feat. 2024’s 82 receptions for 1096 yards and 13 scores were impressive considering it came under new management and started alongside a rookie quarterback.

While the word around the league is that the Commanders don’t wish to trade McLaurin, they also seem hesitant to pay him what he wants.

McLaurin wants compensation that’s equivalent to his numbers, which stand at north of $30 million AAV. There are two big issues with this. First, he’s nearly 30 years old and has spent quite a bit of time battling injuries.

McLaurin decided to hold out from attending the Commanders’ OTAs and minicamp. There was renewed optimism when he showed up at the offseason training camp, wearing the workout uniforms. However, cameras caught him signing autographs and chatting with his agent most of the time.

On Thursday, Jordan Schultz dropped a massive bomb on top of the Commanders’ fans. He announced that Terry McLaurin had requested a trade.

How much can the Commanders expect to get in return for trading Terry McLaurin?

Signing a big-money contract to even the most popular player in the building can become a headache if the timing is not right. General manager Adam Peters had the chance to settle this similarly to the Denver Broncos, who signed Courtland Sutton to a four-year, $92 million extension.

Contract Dispute Prompts Terry McLaurin to Seek Trade Away from Washington Commanders
Terry McLaurin (Image via IMAGO)

However, the waiting game is going to cost them big. Either they pay him north of $30 million or recalibrate McLaurin’s trade value. The concern remains the same in this case as well. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote,

Commanders fans don’t want to find out whether they can land a premium pick for WR Terry McLaurin, whose public battle for a new contract has felt like a relic of the Daniel Snyder days. As good as I believe McLaurin is, it would be tough to see a team trading a first-round pick for a wideout who turns 30 in September.

So, the best Peters and Dan Quinn can hope for is a late second-round draft pick or a high third-round pick. They don’t have much of a choice in that regard.

McLaurin’s trade request naturally generated a lot of buzz on social media.

The Buffalo Bills stood out as one of the teams that could take their chance at trading for the Pro Bowler. They signed Elijah Moore in the offseason and boast players such as Keon Coleman, Josh Palmer, and Khalil Shakir, but none of them can be classified as a bona fide WR1. Switching Jayden Daniels to last season’s league MVP, Josh Allen, wouldn’t be a bad proposition for McLaurin either.

As for the Commanders, they brought in Deebo Samuel from the 49ers and boast veterans such as Michael Gallup, Jacoby Jones, Noah Brown, and KJ Osborne. Samuel will most likely assume the role of WR1 if McLaurin ends up getting traded to another team.

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