Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin wants a lucrative contract extension and raised some eyebrows when he said on Tuesday that he has “been pretty frustrated” regarding negotiations between his camp and the club.
During a Wednesday appearance on the FanDuel TV “Up & Adams” program, Commanders tight end Zach Ertz strongly suggested that Washington should make McLaurin happy before the regular season gets underway.
“The first game is Sept. 7,” Ertz said while speaking about McLaurin, as shared by Bobby Kownack of the NFL’s website. “There’s a lot of time between now and then to get something done. But at the end of the day, everyone knows Terry’s working his butt off whether he’s in the building or not in the building. …What I do know is Terry’s going to do everything he can to be at his best when his best is needed. Fortunately, his best is not needed tomorrow or early next week. It’s needed toward the end of training camp, Week 1. For me, I’m rooting for Terry. I hope he gets paid as much as he wants to get paid.”
McLaurin is in the final year of his current contract and was the favorite target of quarterback Jayden Daniels as the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Award winner guided the Commanders to this year’s NFC Championship Game. Per ESPN stats, McLaurin ended the 2024 regular season with the league’s second-most touchdown catches (13). He also tallied team highs of 82 total receptions, 117 targets and 1,096 receiving yards.
The Commanders adding veteran pass-rusher Von Miller to the roster was a win-now move for a club that likely feels it can do more than simply qualify for the playoffs if Daniels improves upon one of the best rookie seasons ever completed by an NFL quarterback. Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post and The Athletic’s David Aldridge are among commentators who have publicly campaigned for the Commanders to pay McLaurin sooner rather than later.
“In terms of No. 1 receivers, there’s two guys… A.J. Green, who I saw at the end of his career, and Terry McLaurin are the two guys that literally, if they had 150 yards or 20 yards, you couldn’t tell the difference in their demeanor,” Ertz added during his comments. “I think that speaks volumes about the type of people they are, how they work. Dudes that just want to be great teammates and give everything they can for their guys. Those two I hold in especially high regard.”
As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Commanders third among the betting favorites at +900 odds to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LX. McLaurin may not report to training camp on July 22 if he doesn’t have an extension in hand, but that theoretically shouldn’t keep the two sides from continuing negotiations until a deal is inked.
