Mandatory minicamp is around the corner for the Washington Commanders and Terry McLaurin still doesn’t have an extension in place.
While McLaurin’s absence at minicamp wasn’t a major red flag, considering the sessions weren’t mandatory, it was clear that his lack of presence was due to contract talks going quiet.
So far, McLaurin’s plans for the mandatory minicamp on June 10 are not known. While all signs are beginning to point to him not showing up unless another deal is agreed to, only time will tell if that’s really the case.
Either way, one NFL Insider’s recent update on McLaurin paints a concerning picture.
“I don’t think it’s in a great place right now,” Albert Breer said on 106.7 The Fan in DC on Thursday.
“If you ask me where this is, and I think it’s just sort of, I hate to say normal course of things, but I do think to some degree these things do get bumpy.”
McLaurin just earned his highest honor as an NFL wide receiver in 2024, getting named Second-Team All-Pro. He earned that nod amid his second Pro Bowl campaign.
Playing with first-year quarterback Jayden Daniels, McLaurin thrived by coming down with 82 catches for 1,096 yards. He scored a career-high 13 touchdowns, shattering his previous high, which was seven during his rookie season in 2019.
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This season, McLaurin is set to make $15.5 million. Beyond that, there are no guarantees in place. If McLaurin hit the free agency market, he would generate a major market, being that he’s one of the most productive and consistent pass-catchers in the game.
If the Commanders want to make sure they lock in McLaurin beyond this season, they’ll have to come to the table with something around the $30 million mark, doubling his current salary, according to Breer.
“I think it’s fair of him to ask for something in that range, just based on where the market’s gone,” the Insider added.
On a slightly positive note, the assumption is that McLaurin and the Commanders will get something done. Unfortunately, there could be some mess along the way. For a Commanders team that played without pressure in 2024, they thrived and shocked the football world by making a run to the 2024 NFC Championship game under the leadership of their rookie quarterback, Jayden Daniels.
Now, the mood is a little different. The Commanders have an overachieving wideout who wants to get paid. The pressure is on for them to take a step forward after shattering expectations last season. Washington will likely do the right thing and pay McLaurin. Just how far will the talks go, though?
