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Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin is a huge asset to the organization. Not only did he have five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with a revolving door of quarterbacks, but he continued the trend with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels in 2024. He has been loyal to the organization that drafted him in 2019, and now he wants the pay day he’s owed.
To get the contract extension he desires, McLaurin held out of OTAs and minicamp, incurring fines to do so. Should he continue to hold out of training camp in a couple of weeks, he will incur additional fines. Both the Commanders and McLaurin want a deal to get done, but it’s not as simple as it seems on the surface.
When McLaurin’s rookie contract was set to expire, he also held out of OTAs in order to get an extension. An agreement was reached in 2022 for a three-year, $69.6 million contract extension that averaged $23.2 million per year. There are always incentives as well, but he’s due to make $91.65 million in 2025, which is a far cry from what other top wide receivers in the league are making.
Former sports agent Joel Corry recently wrote about the complications in getting a deal done between McLaurin and the Commanders.
Getting a deal done is going to require the Commanders acknowledging that McLaurin is a No. 1 wide receiver and should be paid accordingly. McLaurin is the primary receiving threat on the Commanders. He led the Commanders with 117 targets in 2024.
The Commanders don’t have another wide receiver who can fill McLaurin’s shoes. Deebo Samuel, who was acquired from the San Francisco 49ers in March for a 2025 fifth-round pick, hasn’t been extremely productive since the 2021 season when he earned first-team All-Pro honors. Just like McLaurin, 2025 is a contract year for Samuel.
McLaurin is absolutely the top wide receiver on the team, and with his consistent production, he deserves to be paid like one. Corry offered some comparisons in age and skill to Tyreek Hill, the league’s highest-paid wide receiver, who signed while on the verge of or after turning 30. Hill’s deal was re-negotiated last August without adding any years to the contract, and he is set to make over $90 million over three years. $54 million of that was fully guaranteed at signing.
The Commanders and McLaurin will agree to whatever deal makes the most sense for both sides, and the closer it gets to training camp, the louder Dan Quinn is going to be about getting a deal done. McLaurin is an integral part of Jayden Daniels’ continued development, and not having him on the field will have a significant impact.
So, despite the complexities and the holdout, it is more likely than not that McLaurin returns to Washington with a new contract and ready to hit the ground running this fall.
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