Terry McLaurin was a Pro Bowler for the second time in his career last season while also earning his first Second-Team All-Pro recognition. His 82 receptions were tied for 20th in the league, his 1,096 yards ranked 10th, and he was second in the league with 13 receiving touchdowns.
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He got more recognition last year than he ever had, but it wasn’t necessarily his best season, apart from all those trips to pay dirt. He has had between 77 and 87 receptions for between 1,000 and 1,200 yards in each of the last five years. And for most of that time, he was the lone star on a downtrodden team trotting out QBs like Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen.
And because of his superlative play, McLaurin is now looking for a pay raise. With all of these other receivers getting $30 million a year, Scary Terry certainly has a case. However, ESPN analyst Chris “Mad Dog” Russo believes that McLaurin’s current contract — which pays him just under $22.8 million a year (17th among WRs) — is already good enough.
“Did he sign a three-year contract? Yes. Does the contract go through this year? Yes. Is he getting $25 million a year? Yes. If he played badly last year, would the Commanders still be on the hawk for $25 million? Yes,” Russo said.
“When a player plays poorly and doesn’t live up to his contract, does he say, ‘You know what, I didn’t play well, it’s not fair, let me give the organization its money back?’ No.”
It’s a simple argument, but it is an admittedly convincing one. The logic seems to make sense. Mad Dog continued, “So, when he outplays his contract, should he get more money? He’s got a contract.”
“If you, all of a sudden, hosted here, and you had great ratings, but you had a contract, and they said, ‘Monica, you’ve got a contract for two years.’ And you say, ‘No, no, no, now that you gave me this role, look how I’ve done.’ ‘Well, Monica, you signed a contract, we’re not gonna give you another one.’ … And you wouldn’t have a leg to stand on. In the real world, it doesn’t work this way.”
.@MadDogUnleashed doesn't believe Terry McLaurin should be frustrated over his contract 👀
"Why when he outplays his contract should he get more money? He's got a contract." pic.twitter.com/sMe8UOZiax
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 16, 2025
Again, it’s hard to argue with Russo’s logic here. But with all of the other players holding out—and often doing so successfully—there must be more to these negotiations and relationships than simply saying, “You have a contract, stick to it.”
Terry McLaurin clearly feels hard done by in this situation. The latest update suggests he is “frustrated” with how the talks have progressed. He toiled for years with an awful Commanders team, and now that he’s helped them finally turn the corner, he wants to be compensated accordingly.
With WR2s like DeVonta Smith, Tee Higgins, and Jaylen Waddle all making $25 million or more, it would seem like a WR1 who was just named an All-Pro should probably be getting $30 million. But a lot of times, it’s more about how the negotiations are conducted than the actual merit of the player.
