Terry McLaurin has long been the unsung hero of the Washington Commanders. Despite years of instability at the quarterback position, he consistently posted 1,000-yard seasons and remained a steady force in the offense. But in 2024, with Jayden Daniels under center, McLaurin finally broke out in a big way, earning All-Pro honors and solidifying his status as one of the league’s top receivers. Now, he’s looking to be paid accordingly, something the Commanders have failed to deliver throughout the offseason.
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Unsurprisingly, McLaurin took the modern NFL route: he began with a holdout, skipping OTAs and minicamp. That eventually turned into a “hold-in” to avoid costly fines, and many believed a deal was getting closer as talks seemed to progress. But that optimism has since evaporated. With negotiations stalled, McLaurin has now officially requested a trade.
Former NFL cornerback Bryant McFadden weighed in on the news, saying McLaurin’s trade request isn’t shocking, and it’s simply part of the new contract negotiation cycle in today’s NFL: holdout, hold-in, trade request. We’ve seen this pattern before when discussions hit a standstill.
According to McFadden, the impasse now comes down to one side making the next move. McLaurin is reportedly asking for over $33 million annually, the same amount DK Metcalf demanded before he was traded from Seattle to Pittsburgh, where the Steelers met his price.
But McFadden notes that while both receivers have been highly productive, their situations aren’t identical. Metcalf had more leverage due to his younger age, making him a longer-term investment than McLaurin.
“Who’s going to compromise the fastest? Is it going to be the organization in the Washington Commanders that really believes that Terry McLaurin is worth what he’s asking for, or will it be McLaurin that’s kind of lowering his market value in terms of what he feels he is deserving to be seeing to be able to get an extension done? This is a different scenario than what we saw with DK Metcalf when he got traded because he is younger than McLaurin is, even though both guys have been productive.”
There isn’t much separating Terry McLaurin and DK Metcalf when it comes to production. McLaurin hauled in 82 passes for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns last season, while Metcalf recorded 66 catches for 992 yards and five scores. Statistically, McLaurin had the stronger year, especially in the red zone.
This marked McLaurin’s fifth straight 1,000-yard season, compared to Metcalf, who has hit that mark three times since both entered the league in 2019. However, age plays a role in contract negotiations. Metcalf is two years younger than McLaurin, making him a more appealing long-term investment from a financial standpoint.
Still, McLaurin holds a different kind of leverage. He’s the Commanders’ clear-cut WR1 and a respected veteran who played a crucial role in Jayden Daniels’ development as a rookie quarterback. If Washington wants to keep its young QB on track and maintain continuity on offense, it’ll likely need to pay Terry what he’s asking, potentially over $30 million annually.
