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Terry McLaurin

Commanders Eyeing Terry McLaurin Extension; No Laremy Tunsil Talks Yet

March 31st, 2025 at 11:41am CST by Adam La Rose

Terry McLaurin enjoyed a productive season during Jayden Daniels‘ rookie campaign, and he faces high expectations heading into 2025. That represents McLaurin’s walk year at this point, but a new Commanders deal could be in place this offseason.

General manager Adam Peters said on Monday (via JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington) “positive” discussions have taken place regarding McLaurin’s future. Peters added his desire for the two-time Pro Bowler to remain in Washington for “a long time.” As a result, a strong push to work out a third contract in the near future would not come as a surprise.

One of many impact wideouts from the 2019 draft class, McLaurin inked a three-year pact averaging $23.2MM per season. The receiver market has surged on more than one occasion since that deal was signed in 2022, and Ja’Marr Chase now leads the way at $40.25MM in annual average value. McLaurin will not approach that figure on his next pact, but having reeled off five straight 1,000-yard seasons (and after scoring a career-high 13 touchdowns in 2024), the 29-year-old has a strong case for a raise.

Washington entered the offseason in need of another veteran receiver, and that vacancy was filled by the Deebo Samuel trade. The 49ers’ 2024 offseason was dominated by the possibility of a Brandon Aiyuk swap, and he was known to be interested in a deal sending him to the Commanders (and thus reuniting him with Daniels, his former college teammate). Had such an agreement been reached, McLaurin would have been a San Francisco target regarding compensation.

Instead, the Ohio State product remains on the Commanders’ books at a scheduled 2025 cap hit of $25.5MM. That figure could be lowered with an extension tying McLaurin to the team for the foreseeable future, and it will be interesting to see if he matches the team’s desire to work out a new agreement. Elsewhere on the team’s offense, though, it is unclear if Washington’s new left tackle will be in place for years to come.

Laremy Tunsil was acquired this offseason as part of the Texans’ multi-faceted efforts to rebuild up front. The five-time Pro Bowler’s departure was driven in no small part by Houston’s preference to commit funds elsewhere on the roster, leading to questions about how willing the Commanders would be to extend him. On that note, Peters said no contract talks have taken place yet (h/t Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post).

Two years remain on Tunsil’s pact, and he is attached to a cap charge of $21.35MM for both campaigns. No guaranteed salary exists for the final season of the 30-year-old’s deal, so working out an extension before that point would be feasible from the team’s perspective. Other financial priorities appear to be in place as things stand, though.

Daniels’ rookie contract provides the Commanders with a window of opportunity to build off their surprise run to the NFC title game last season. Both McLaurin and Tunsil will play key roles in that effort for at least the 2025 campaign, but they could be on separate paths with respect to their respective futures in the organization.

49ers Targeted Terry McLaurin In Potential Commanders Trade

December 26th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk saga brought countless rumors last summer. The what-ifs involved a host of teams and other wideouts — Amari Cooper, Justin Jefferson and Courtland Sutton among them — as San Francisco ultimately stayed the course with a player who snared second-team All-Pro acclaim last season.

Aiyuk talks with the Steelers became the 49ers’ top contingency plan, as the Browns and Patriots also made aggressive trade and extension offers. Given permission to explore trade avenues, Aiyuk was not interested in a deal to Cleveland or New England. And he eventually nixed a Pittsburgh path, signing a four-year, $120MM San Francisco extension. That deal soon became even more important for Aiyuk, who suffered a torn ACL that ended what had already been a disappointing season.

Throughout the process, the Commanders loomed as a stealth destination — dating back to Aiyuk suggesting the fit in June. It later came out that Aiyuk would have indeed been interested in being moved to Washington to team up with Jayden Daniels, Aiyuk’s teammate in 2019 with Arizona State. The Commanders were not believed to have been overly interested, despite an apparent need for a player to complement Terry McLaurin. New information sheds some light on why Washington did not dive into the Aiyuk sweepstakes.

The 49ers would have been open to appeasing Aiyuk by dealing him to the Commanders had the NFC East team included McLaurin in the deal, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows notes (subscription required). Unlike the Browns, the Commanders were not offering their No. 1 target for Aiyuk. Incongruous plans presumably doomed a 49ers-Commanders swap this summer.

It would have stood to reason the Commanders would have wanted Aiyuk to play alongside McLaurin, as the Steelers did by eyeing an Aiyuk-George Pickens combo. Rather than offer Pickens to the 49ers in an Aiyuk package, the Steelers offered picks and eventually agreed to trade parameters. That opens the door to Washington potentially being able to have done the same, but reports did not have the NFC East club nearly as far down the road on a trade this summer.

Cleveland offered Cooper, along with second- and fifth-round picks, to San Francisco for Aiyuk, who would have paired with Jerry Jeudy. The Patriots discussed Kendrick Bourne with the 49ers. McLaurin, however, appeared to represent a bridge too far; moving their perennial leading receiver for Aiyuk would have not stood to produce much of a gain for the Commanders.

At 29, McLaurin is three years older than Aiyuk. But he had already been working with Daniels for months by the time serious Aiyuk trade talks commenced. The former third-round pick is having his best season, averaging a career-high 63.3 receiving yards per game.

McLaurin, who has only missed three career games, now has five 1,000-yard seasons, having crossed that barrier most recently in Week 16. His contract, one that helped shape the 49ers’ Deebo Samuel extension, runs through 2025. The Commanders will need to navigate extension talks soon, but they appear quite happy with McLaurin, whose third contract would complement Daniels’ rookie deal.

McLaurin has outplayed Samuel by a significant margin this season and would stand to have more 2025 trade value, but no indications have surfaced Washington plans to seriously entertain a move. Aiyuk’s 49ers deal runs through 2028.

Commanders’ Jayden Daniels Likely To Open Season As Starting QB?

June 16th, 2024 at 10:43pm CST by Rory Parks

The Commanders naturally expected QB Jayden Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, to become their starting signal-caller sooner rather than later. While Washington acquired veteran Marcus Mariota in free agency as a potential bridge option, Daniels seemingly has a firm grasp on the top spot on the depth chart.

As Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano writes, Daniels appears “entrenched” as the Commanders’ starting quaterback. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner took most of the first-team reps during last week’s mandatory minicamp, and Vacchiano says there has been no indication that will change when training camp opens next month.

New GM Adam Peters zeroed in on Daniels as soon as he began to watch the rookie’s college game tape, and Daniels has lived up to the hype during the Commanders’ offseason work. Per Vacchiano, Daniels had an “outstanding spring,” and both his passing ability and running ability were on full display.

Daniels’ work ethic was one of the attributes that sold Peters on the former LSU passer, and head coach Dan Quinn and Pro Bowl wideout Terry McLaurin both cited that work ethic when discussing Daniels with the media.

“Not only does the physical traits show up, its the work ethic,” Quinn said. “I think that through the years and through the season, you guys will feel that and see that.”

“He’s going to be a really good player because of the time and the work that he puts in,” McLaurin added. “I don’t think I’ve had a young quarterback that really has come in and, within the first week, he’s like, ‘Hey, can we (work on) this route?’ or, ‘Let me get this rep after practice?’ It’s exciting for me.”

To be clear, Quinn said no decisions have been made about who the starting quarterback will be (via ESPN’s John Keim). Vacchiano, though, believes that regardless of what Quinn says publicly, the job is Daniels’ to lose, and the team does not expect him to lose it. Indeed, as Quinn himself said (via Keim), “he’s further along than you probably should be. … He really has a very firm handle on the things that we’re doing, but he also has the humility of a young player … knowing he has a lot to prove.”

Daniels, who recently put pen to paper on his four-year, $37.75MM rookie contract, said, “I ain’t a star quarterback yet. … I still got a long way to go to be where I want to be. (I) try to perfect it, try to be a perfectionist as much as possible.”

Apparently, he will get plenty of opportunity to perfect his craft with the first-team offense when training camp rolls around, and at this point, it would be a surprise if he is not under center on Week 1.

Commanders Add WR Jamison Crowder To Active Roster

September 11th, 2023 at 1:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

SEPTEMBER 11: After playing in the Commanders’ Week 1 win and operating as their punt returner, Crowder will remain in the fold moving forward. The veteran has been signed to the team’s 53-man roster, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

SEPTEMBER 6: Crowder is indeed coming back to Washington. The former Jay Gruden-era pass catcher will join Rivera’s team on a practice squad deal.

SEPTEMBER 5: Although many teams released vested veterans upon cutting their rosters down to 53 and then brought them back — via an active-roster deal after an IR move took place elsewhere on the roster or via a practice squad invite — soon after. The Giants did not prioritize Jamison Crowder after cutting him, however.

Even as Wan’Dale Robinson finishes up his recovery from an ACL tear and Cole Beasley battles an injury that led to him going on the practice squad injured list, the Giants did not bring back Crowder. Back in free agency, Crowder is beginning to receive interest. The Commanders brought in Crowder for a Tuesday visit, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Crowder, of course, began his career in Washington. Plenty has changed since — from the staff to the quarterback to the team name — but the Ron Rivera–Martin Mayhew regime is interested in the 30-year-old slot receiver. Crowder is coming off an abbreviated season, when a fractured ankle stopped his Bills campaign after four games. But the 5-foot-9 wideout was previously a productive player with Washington and the Jets, compiling 600-plus yards in five seasons since being a 2015 fourth-round pick.

Beginning his career as the inside option in Kirk Cousins-led attacks, Crowder rose in the team’s pass-game pecking order after the free agency exits of Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson in 2017. Crowder led the 2017 Washington edition in receiving, though his career-high yardage total remains the 847 — to go with a career-best seven TD receptions — he totaled in 2016 alongside Jackson and Garcon. The Jets gave Crowder a three-year, $28.5MM contract in 2019.

Sam Darnold‘s steadiest target, Crowder combined to score 12 TDs during the former No. 3 overall pick’s final two Jets seasons. The Jets reduced Crowder’s pay in 2021, upon hiring Robert Saleh and OC Mike LaFleur, and he averaged a career-worst 8.8 yards per reception in Zach Wilson‘s rookie season. Crowder joined the Bills on a one-year, $2MM deal and only received $28K guaranteed from the Giants this offseason.

The Commanders have a key injury issue at receiver entering the season. Terry McLaurin has rested for over a week now with turf toe. The longtime No. 1 target, who arrived a month after Crowder left, is uncertain for Week 1. Washington has used extensive resources in recent years upgrading McLaurin’s supporting cast, using a first-round pick on Jahan Dotson in 2022 — a year after giving Curtis Samuel a three-year, $34.5MM deal. In addition to the three starters, the Commanders have four more receivers rostered. Ex-Eric Bieniemy Chiefs cog Byron Pringle joins 2021 third-rounder Dyami Brown, 2021 seventh-rounder Dax Milne and rookie UDFA Mitchell Tinsley at the position.

McLaurin is not out of the mix for Week 1 just yet, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, who notes the team has hope for its top target to be ready in time.

WR Notes: Watson, Metchie, Chark, McLaurin, Smith-Njigba

September 8th, 2023 at 9:45pm CST by Ely Allen

Jordan Love‘s tenure as the Packers‘ full-time starting quarterback will have a bit of a hurdle to navigate this week. In his first start since November 2021, Love will be without the team’s top returning receiver Christian Watson, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.

Watson is dealing with a hamstring injury that could potentially lead to an extended absence. Head coach Matt LaFleur claimed that he doesn’t think Watson will reach a three- or four-week absence but classified the second-year wideout as week-to-week.

The top target in Watson’s absence, fellow sophomore receiver Romeo Doubs, is also dealing with a hamstring injury but is only listed as questionable heading into the weekend. Rookie wideout Dontayvion Wicks is the third such receiver on the team dealing with a hamstring injury, but he managed to avoid the injury report altogether. Star tackle David Bakhtiari is also available after staying off the injury report.

Here are a few more reports on wide receiver injuries from around the league heading into Week 1:

  • The world will have to continue to wait for the NFL debut of Texans wide receiver John Metchie III, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Despite making a recovery from both a torn ACL and leukemia, Metchie is still dealing with a nagging hamstring injury. Houston is being patient, taking a “big-picture approach” to Metchie’s return. The team will be without safety Jimmie Ward and linebacker Blake Cashman for Week 1, as well.
  • The Panthers are slowly working their way back to full health in their receiving corps, according to Panthers writer Augusta Stone. Back ups Terrace Marshall and Ihmir Smith-Marsette are now fully participating in practice after recent injury trouble. Starters Adam Thielen and D.J. Chark Jr. both returned to practice today in a limited capacity. While Thielen was listed as questionable and could still play, Chark has been ruled out for the team’s season opener.
  • The Commanders drew lots of criticism when leading receiver Terry McLaurin sustained an injury as the team played its starters fairly deep into a preseason game in an effort to end the Ravens’ preseason win streak. They’ll dodge a bullet, though, as McLaurin will be active this week after making good progress from his turf toe injury, according to Commanders senior writer Zach Selby. He’s had a couple of full participation practices and should be good to go for Week 1. Defensive end Chase Young has been listed as questionable, though. Head coach Ron Rivera claimed that “if (Young’s) cleared, he’ll go.”
  • Despite undergoing wrist surgery just two and a half weeks ago, Seahawks rookie first round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba is expected to play in the team’s season opener against the Rams this Sunday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Head coach Pete Carroll, who was optimistic on the recovery timeline, confirmed as much this week.

NFC East Notes: Commanders, Kearse, Giants

August 24th, 2023 at 10:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Battling a turf toe issue sustained Monday night, Terry McLaurin will not need surgery. But an extended rest period is underway. This hiatus has the top Commanders skill-position talent uncertain to be ready by Week 1, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler (Twitter links). McLaurin has not missed a game due to injury since 2020. The Commanders have made some big investments at wide receiver since starting McLaurin’s tenure off with little around him. Curtis Samuel is going into the final season of his three-year, $34.5MM contract, and the team has first-rounder Jahan Dotson going into his second season. But McLaurin has been one of the NFL’s best receivers, totaling his third straight 1,000-yard season months after signing a three-year, $69.6MM extension.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

Notable 2023 Pro Bowl Incentives

December 21st, 2022 at 9:22pm CST by Ben Levine

The NFL announced their 2023 Pro Bowl rosters this evening. Besides the ability to list the accolade on their career resume (plus the monetary bonus that comes from participating in and winning the game), many players had a financial incentive for wanting a Pro Bowl nod. We’ve collected some of the notable Pro Bowl contract incentives below, most via ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter (unless noted).

Geno Smith‘s contract bonus came via a specific incentive that required not only Pro Bowl recognition but 20 touchdown passes, according to Yates (on Twitter). Smith hit that TD mark back in Week 13. The impending free agent is set to cash in following a breakout campaign during his age-32 season.

Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard has a more complex bonus worked into his contract. According to CBS Sports’ Joel Corry (on Twitter), Howard is one step closer to earning a $1MM bonus thanks to his Pro Bowl nod, but he’ll also need Miami to improve in either wins, points allowed, TDs allowed, total defense, interceptions, average net yards allowed per rushing play, or turnover margin.

Speaking of the Dolphins, the organization saved a chunk of future money since one of their players didn’t make the Pro Bowl roster. As Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald tweets, Tua Tagovailoa‘s fifth-year option would have increased from $22MM to $28MM if he earned a Pro Bowl nod.

5 Key Stories: 6/26/22 – 7/3/22

July 3rd, 2022 at 5:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

Even in the quietest part of the offseason, there were still some significant developments around the NFL. Here’s a quick rundown of the week’s top headlines:

  • Watson Hearing Concludes: The top offseason storyline in the league reached another critical stage, as the hearing presided over by Sue Robinson concluded after three days. Her decision on whether Browns QB Deshaun Watson will be suspended – and if so, for how long – will be the next step in this process, and could be delayed by a matter of weeks. Any appeals process (which would be administered by commissioner Roger Goodell or his appointee) would then follow, and have drastic consequences on Watson, the Browns and, given the precedent it could set, any players who find themselves in a similar situation in the future.
  • McLaurin Signs Extension With Commanders: The offseason was building towards Terry McLaurin signing a lucrative extension in Washington, and he did just that by inking a three-year deal. The pact carries an average annual value of $23.3MM, and includes a signing bonus of $28MM. With the new contract in hand, McLaurin will see significant guaranteed money, while still being eligible for another significant deal at the age of 30.
  • Mayfield Dispels Talk Of Browns Reconciliation: With a Watson suspension looming, many have pointed to Baker Mayfield as the Browns’ best QB option in 2022. He remains on the roster, as trade talks have sputtered throughout the offseason, but the fences between himself and the team still aren’t likely to be mended. “I think it’s pretty obvious the mutual decision on both sides is to move on,” he said, when asked about the possibility of rescinding his trade request to play out the final year of his contract in Cleveland. Finding a trade partner could still remain challenging for the team, though.
  • 49ers Nearing Samuel Extension?: With McLaurin (and fellow 2019 draftee A.J. Brown) having signed big-money extensions, attention will turn even more so to the 49ers and Deebo Samuel. It was reported that, as trade talk cools around the highly-productive ‘wide-back,’ the team is “expected to continue working toward” a new deal with Samuel. In that event, he could find himself under contract by training camp later this month, presumably joining the $20MM-per-year WR club as many others have already done this offseason along the way.
  • Texans Facing First Watson Suit: The civil litigation filed against Watson has been well-documented, and, even after 20 of those suits were settled, will remain a significant storyline into, quite possibly, next offseason. Another development related his case, though, was the news that the first lawsuit related to his conduct while with the Texans was filed against the franchise itself. A statement from plaintiff’s attorney Tony Buzbee suggested that many others could follow, claiming that “the overwhelming evidence collected indicating that the Houston Texans enabled Watson’s behavior is incredibly damning.”

NFC West Rumors: 49ers, Cardinals, Metcalf

July 2nd, 2022 at 7:37pm CST by Ely Allen

Not long ago, we wrote about the 49ers’ cornerback depth chart, claiming Charvarius Ward and Emmanuel Moseley were the starting outside corners this spring with Darqueze Dennard and rookie fifth-round pick Samuel Womack competing for the the starting nickel cornerback job, while second-year defender Ambry Thomas slots in as the No. 3 corner on the outside.

A slight alternative to the starting scenarios was proposed earlier this week by Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News. He agrees that Dennard and Womack seem to be going head-to-head for the nickel-back role, but posits that, should neither cornerback seize the starting opportunity, San Francisco could formulate a rotation that would see Moseley shift inside and Thomas come in to cover the outside.

If Dennard and Womack can’t convince the coaches that they’re more valuable to have on the field than Thomas, the above situation could unfold. It makes sense that the 49ers would want the best three defenders on the field and could utilize other cornerback combinations to take advantage of specific matchups.

Here are a couple of other rumors from out of the NFC West, starting with a note out of Glendale:

  • A little over two weeks ago, the Cardinals signed two former Chiefs’ defenders in cornerback Josh Jackson and linebacker Ben Niemann. The two have had diametrically contradicting career paths with the former second-round pick, Jackson, slowly falling into obscurity while the former undrafted free agent, Niemann has earned more and more responsibility each year he’s been in the league. Both of their contracts, though, will be worth the league minimum, according to Sports Illustrated’s Howard Balzer. While that’s a hard pill to swallow for Jackson after the high expectations that came with his draft position, Niemann is likely grateful to be heading into his fifth year of NFL football for the second team to give him an opportunity after initially going undrafted.
  • Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf has been pushing the organization for a new contract lately. The 24-year-old is set to head into the last year of his rookie contract and, while he does want to get paid, he’s also providing the Seahawks a head start on the rest of the league on what would be his eventual free agency. While Metcalf is looking at recent deals like that of his former college teammate, A.J. Brown, the absolute floor of Metcalf’s hypothetical extension was set this week when the Commanders extended star receiver Terry McLaurin, Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus writes. Kyed justifies the opinion, saying that, while PFF grades Metcalf slightly lower than McLaurin, Metcalf is over two years younger and has produced at a slightly higher level than McLaurin over their first three years in the league. Whether or not Metcalf undoubtedly deserves more than McLaurin, McLaurin’s new deal sets an intriguing bar as extension talks continue in Seattle.

Commanders, WR Terry McLaurin Agree On Extension

June 28th, 2022 at 11:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Amid an explosive offseason at the wide receiver position, another major domino is falling. The Commanders and Terry McLaurin agreed to terms on a three-year extension Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Washington is giving its top target a contract worth up to $71MM, Schefter notes, with a receiver-high $28MM signing bonus (Twitter link). In terms of average annual value, the Commanders went to $23.3MM for the fourth-year standout, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The Commanders are guaranteeing 76.4% of the contract, per Schefter, giving the Ohio State alum long-term security and the chance to cash in again in the not-too-distant future. While McLaurin will be protected against injury, the signing bonus represents most of his full guarantee. This deal includes $34.6MM guaranteed at signing Rapoport tweets. That figure ranks just 14th among wideouts, but Washington will add to that total with $12.5MM more becoming guaranteed in March 2023.

A lengthy negotiation that included McLaurin stepping away from the team’s offseason activities for weeks — headlined by a minicamp absence — keyed a resolution. This conclusion will certainly have a significant effect on the rapidly shifting wideout market. AAV-wise, McLaurin, 26, becomes the NFL’s seventh-highest-paid receiver. But the former third-round pick’s deal creates a clear divide between No. 7 and No. 8 (D.J. Moore, who signed a $20.6MM-per-year deal earlier this offseason). Considering McLaurin, Moore and Mike Williams (also extended at $20MM AAV this year) each have no Pro Bowl invites on their respective resumes, McLaurin scoring this deal represents a win.

By agreeing to a three-year accord, McLaurin will be signed through the 2025 season. He will turn 30 that year. Should the Commanders want to continue with McLaurin for the late 2020s, he could have the back end of his prime to factor into those prospective negotiations. For now, however, another of the 2019 receiver draftees has scored a big payday. Deebo Samuel, D.K. Metcalf and Diontae Johnson will be interested observers. Samuel and Metcalf figure to target A.J. Brown‘s Eagles deal (four years, $100MM), but McLaurin’s re-up figures to be of particular interest to Johnson’s camp.

Talks during the minicamp McLaurin missed failed to produce a deal, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes (on Twitter) the two parties backed off for a bit. Tuesday represented the breakthrough. Ron Rivera expressed optimism for a 2022 McLaurin deal on multiple occasions this offseason, and the third-year Commanders HC added that the team would not trade its premier aerial threat. Rivera and GM Martin Mayhew stuck to those guns and have an intriguing receiver duo for the long haul. Both McLaurin and first-round wideout Jahan Dotson are signed through 2025. Dotson can be kept through 2026 on a fifth-year option.

Washington did not receive much from Curtis Samuel last season, with injuries interrupting the former Buckeye’s D.C. debut. But the ex-Panther is tied to a hefty contract as well — three years, $34.5MM. The McLaurin and Samuel contracts, along with the team’s Dotson investment, represent a lofty commitment to the receiver position ahead of Carson Wentz‘s first Washington season. Wentz’s set of Washington weaponry certainly appears to outflank, depth-wise, the troops he played with in Indianapolis. Given the injury problems the Eagles dealt with at receiver during the latter half of Wentz’s Philadelphia tenure, Washington’s seemingly well-rounded trio provides an interesting opportunity for the 29-year-old passer.

Through three McLaurin seasons, Washington struggled to assemble complementary help for its No. 1 weapon. But the 6-foot target kept producing. McLaurin has averaged more yards per game than Metcalf over the course of his career (67.2) and is riding back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. McLaurin doing so with a host of quarterbacks — from college teammate Dwayne Haskins to a near-the-end Alex Smith to Taylor Heinicke — should give the Commanders confidence the production will continue with Wentz.

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