Commanders may have a Terry McLaurin problem

Plenty of veteran players skip team activities at this time of year, of course, maintaining their own schedules until mandatory minicamp. In the case of those eligible for an extension, though, absences can be notable. McLaurin is indeed known to be seeking a new deal, Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post notes.

A $2.8M roster bonus was paid out in March in this situation, and McLaurin is currently owed a $15.5M base salary for 2025, the final year of his deal. The receiver market has continued to surge during the 29-year-old’s decorated Washington tenure, so a raise will be in order if another extension can be worked out. Earlier this offseason, general manager Adam Peters made it clear a new McLaurin pact was a priority.

That came as little surprise, given the Ohio State product’s consistent performances as the Commanders’ No. 1 receiver over the years. 2024 marked his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard campaign, and with Jayden Daniels at the helm last year, McLaurin comfortably set a new career high with 13 touchdowns. Even with trade acquisition Deebo Samuel now in place as a starting receiver, expectations will remain high for McLaurin moving forward.

When Ja’Marr Chase inked his long-awaited Bengals deals this offseason, the number of wideouts averaging at least $30M per year rose to eight. McLaurin — whose existing pact carries an AAV of $23.2M — is a strong candidate to join that group on his third career deal. Making such an investment, especially while Daniels is on his rookie contract, would likely be a sound move considering the production which has been seen with a number of previous quarterbacks in the nation’s capital since 2019.

McLaurin is due to carry a $25.5M cap charge as things stand. A long-term deal will no doubt lower that figure while ensuring a trip to free agency next spring does not become possible. It will be interesting to see if negotiations pick up in a bid to get McLaurin back in the fold.