Terry McLaurin is getting dangerously close to not suiting up for the Washington Commanders by the start of the season. The star receiver is still holding out as he awaits a contract extension that meets his demands. But now, insiders are reporting that the team is starting to lose patience with his camp.
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The Commanders reportedly offered McLaurin a contract extension this offseason worth around $27-$28 million per year, about $4 million more than he’s currently making. However, he declined the deal, insisting he wanted closer to $33 million.
In case you missed it, the Commanders had an expensive offseason, making a slew of new roster additions that didn’t come cheap. As a result, they don’t have a lot of financial flexibility, which is why they’ve held firm on their initial offer of $27-$28 million.
Now, Commanders insider and radio host Kevin Sheehan is reporting that the team may be ready to pull the offer altogether.
“I think the team is nearing very much kind of a breaking point. I think they have had it with Team Terry,” Sheehan said via The Team 980.
It’s understandable. The Commanders just made a run to the NFC Championship. When you pair it with their outstanding offseason, it’s hard to think that their championship window hasn’t opened. You would think guys would be scratching and clawing to be a part of that in any way, and not get hung up on contracts.
But McLaurin and his agent have adamantly pushed for more money throughout the offseason. They’ve made it clear that the championship window doesn’t matter to them as much as being paid what they believe he’s worth. That has frustrated Sheehan as well.
“If Team Terry doesn’t get a clue and get a sense of reality soon, they’re going to leave $50 million on the table,” Sheehan continued.
“At that point, when that gets left and is pulled, and is no longer an option- I will always in that moment be open to a different version of it when we look back on it historically, if there’s more information. But I will definitely think that in that moment, Terry made a massive mistake.”
It would be nice if McLaurin took a slight pay cut to help the team, but it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen. Naturally, it’s left some fans upset.
Reacting to the news, many in the Commanders’ fanbase seemed fed up with his holdout as well.
“Understandable, I love the guy, but asking for top 4 WR money is f**ked,” one wrote.
“He ain’t make no noise when the franchise was inept, now we have a real chance to compete, and you rock the boat now? Not good,” another commented.
“I’m nearing a breaking point too,” a Commanders fan said.
One fan even suggested a possible trade destination for McLaurin if he can’t agree on a new deal. “Vikings could use him,” they suggested.
Vikings could use him
— DeFi-Blaze (@DeFi_Blaze) August 20, 2025
It would be interesting to see McLaurin in a Vikings uniform. They could certainly use him. Jordan Addison is going to be suspended to start the season, and Justin Jefferson could use another receiver to help take some attention off him.
Regardless, McLaurin’s latest contract demands made headlines. He specifically wants as much or more money than the $33 million DK Metcalf just received from the Pittsburgh Steelers. That figure would rank him within the top 4 highest-paid receivers in the NFL.
Is McLaurin worth that much? The market says yes, but the Commanders’ pockets have not agreed with the notion. He’s put up 5 straight 1000-yard seasons, and just caught 13 TDs in his first season with Jayden Daniels.
We’d argue that McLaurin is worth the price tag. But we also understand that with the Commanders’ expensive offseason, they may not be comfortable paying up. That’s why it’ll be fascinating to see how this all plays out in the coming weeks.
