Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin will not be present during this week’s offseason team activities workouts as he continues to seek a new contract. According to the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala, contract talks “remain far apart” between McLaurin and the Commanders.
McLaurin participated in everything but on-field workouts when OTAs started in April. However, that’s changed since the draft.
McLaurin is in the final year of his rookie contract. Washington drafted the wideout in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He has since emerged as Washington’s top receiving option.
Through his first three seasons, McLaurin has 222 catches, 3090 receiving yards and 16 touchdown catches. That’s despite having eight different quarterbacks in such a short time.
The latest report should concern Commanders fans. The NFL’s wide receiver market has been explosive over the past offseason. It’s led to multiple top receivers being traded in search of a huge payday.
Fellow 2019 receiver draftee A.J. Brown skipped the first session of OTAs for the Tennessee Titans searching for a new deal. The standoff resulted in Brown being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles during Day 1 of this year’s NFL Draft.
Brown signed a four-year, $100 million extension with the Eagles after the trade. That amount of money is sure to be a measurer for McLaurin’s potential new contract.
This offseason has already seen top wide receivers Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill being traded for a new contract.
This season, McLaurin is set to make $2.79 million. He’ll receive a significant pay raise with his next deal. However, it’s concerning what seems to be the snag between him and the Commanders.
Washington wants to retain him past the 2022 season. The longer the saga draws out, it will be pressing to see how McLaurin handles the situation if no deal is reached.
It’s also interesting to know the amount of the gap in negotiations. What will be the next step for McLaurin and how the team handles the situation will be intriguing.
