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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 26: Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Commanders runs by Darius Slay Jr. #2 of the Philadelphia Eagles to score a touchdown during the second quarter in the NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 26, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Terry McLaurin’s contract talks aren’t progressing as hoped.
The star receiver, who is in the last season of a three-year, $68.3 million deal with the Washington Commanders, is “not happy with where things are with an extension,” according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Fowler said Sunday on SportsCenter that the Commanders have a “couple of weeks here to make progress” with McLaurin before they risk his holdout stretching into training camp.
This echoes a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who said June 30 on the Pat McAfee Show that the two sides hadn’t gained much ground at the negotiating table.
“There’s no update on the Terry McLaurin situation,” Schefter said at the time, “and that’s the problem. … There is quite a gap between what both sides want right now, and they have not made any progress.”
As such, the clock keeps ticking.
How Does Terry McLaurin’s Contract Compare to Other Top Receivers?
McLaurin has been one of the NFL’s most consistent wideouts, surpassing 1,000 yards receiving in five straight seasons. In 2024, McLaurin led the Commanders with 82 catches for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns in 17 regular-season games and then had another 227 yards and three touchdowns in the postseason, helping Washington reach the NFC Championship Game.
The two-time Pro Bowler is due $15.5 million in base salary for 2025, a relative bargain compared to higher-priced No. 1 wideouts like Ja’Marr Chase ($40.2 million), Justin Jefferson ($35 million) and CeeDee Lamb ($34 million).
Set to turn 30 in September, McLaurin certainly sees this as one of his last opportunities to cash in.
The Commanders have already invested a lot into the receiver position this offseason, acquiring All-Pro Deebo Samuel in March for a fifth-round pick. Last year with the San Francisco 49ers, Samuel had 51 catches for 670 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games. He also ran for a score.
Will Terry McLaurin Attend Training Camp?
McLaurin has already sat out the voluntary and mandatory minicamp sessions while angling for a new deal. He has yet to say whether he will attend training camp later this month if a new deal is not struck, though the Commanders certainly hope to avoid any distractions as they look to build off last season’s breakthrough.
Led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Commanders went 12-5, won their first playoff game since 2005, and reached the conference title game.
McLaurin has a $25.5 million cap hit, per Spotrac, but the Commanders could lower that number by striking a new deal ahead of the regular season.
Only time will tell if the two sides can get something done.
Douglas Bonjour is a breaking news contributor covering the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and WNBA for Heavy. He is also a contributing writer for The Associated Press and has worked for Point Spreads, the Connecticut Post and Hearst Connecticut Media as a reporter and editor. More about Douglas Bonjour
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