Washington Commanders News & Rumors

Commanders Hesitant About $30MM-AAV Deal For Terry McLaurin?

The 2024 offseason expanded the $30MM-per-year wide receiver club to six members. D.K. Metcalf, Ja’Marr Chase and Garrett Wilson have taken it to nine this year. Terry McLaurin is undoubtedly pushing to bump that number to 10, after seeing 2019 Day 2 classmates Metcalf and A.J. Brown land among that contingent.

McLaurin reported to training camp Sunday and landed on the active/PUP list. As our Rory Parks explained, skepticism exists about how injured the Commanders’ top wide receiver really is. An ankle injury has keyed the PUP stay, but it can be safely assumed McLaurin would be ready to practice if an extension comes to pass. Nevertheless, the Commanders have been surprised by the difficulty of these talks.

[RELATED: Assessing McLaurin’s Extension Value]

Using an injury to avoid practicing while negotiating — developments the Jonathan Taylor and Micah Parsons sagas brought — represents a third tactic, joining the holdout and the increasingly utilized hold-in amid extension talks. McLaurin shifted from a holdout to the injury route; no matter how he is accomplishing not practicing, the seventh-year veteran is aiming to land a lucrative third contract. His age provides a complication for Washington.

McLaurin is going into an age-30 season, separating him from Brown and Metcalf. Both Ole Miss products were drafted just before McLaurin, a 2019 third-round pick, but they are each two years younger. This strengthened their cases for big-ticket third contracts. McLaurin went first to ignite the second-tier boom on the receiver market in 2022, agreeing to a three-year, $69.6MM extension. That shaped the Metcalf and Deebo Samuel extensions, both of which coming in higher than McLaurin’s despite the latter’s consistency with suboptimal quarterback situations.

McLaurin’s AAV has dropped to 17th at wide receiver. The Commanders are prepared to extend their top wideout, but Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline indicates hesitancy regarding the $30MM-AAV number. Some around the league point to the team not wanting to go into that neighborhood for McLaurin, despite his five 1,000-yard seasons. Courtland Sutton and McLaurin are nearly the same age, and the Broncos’ top target signed a four-year, $92MM extension. That matches where the Titans went for Calvin Ridley (now 30) in 2024. McLaurin, though, has a better resume than both and should be aiming higher. The Commanders have a Jayden Daniels rookie contract to structure another McLaurin extension around as well.

Adam Peters was around for the 49ers’ 2022 Samuel extension but not Brandon Aiyuk‘s $30MM-per-year deal. (The Samuel extension also did not work out for the 49ers, who proceeded with a salary dump of sorts by trading him to the Commanders.) The second-year GM taking a hardline stance with McLaurin would be an interesting route given the WR’s importance to a sudden contender. Peters confirmed talks are ongoing, with that comment coming after McLaurin expressed frustration about the negotiations.

A potential gap between the pack of 20-somethings (and Tyreek Hill) north of $30MM AAV and the Tee HigginsJaylen WaddleD.J. Moore tier could be relevant here, and it will be interesting to see if McLaurin settles for something just south of that $30MM benchmark. Guarantees and contract structure, of course, will be important to determining the value as well. A short-term extension should be reached soon, per Pauline, but if the Commanders hold the line at or around $30MM, the McLaurin matter could drag on for a while longer.

Commanders OL Nate Herbig Retires

A shoulder injury sidelined Nate Herbig for the entire 2024 campaign. Instead of returning to action this season, the veteran offensive lineman has ended his career.

The Commanders placed Herbig on the reserve/retired list Tuesday. That moves comes after he signed a one-year deal in free agency this spring. The 27-year-old will not spend training camp competing for a roster spot; rather, his attention will now turn to his post-playing days.

Entering the league as an undrafted free agent, Herbig’s first regular season action came with the Eagles. He made only a pair of appearances in 2019, but the following year he emerged as a key member of their offensive line and made 12 starts. Herbig’s final Philadelphia campaign saw him play 16 games while making five starts.

The Stanford product spent 2022 with the Jets, logging first-team duties during each of his 11 games played. Expectations were high for another campaign of starting duties up front entering last season, as Herbig was on track to begin the year atop the Steelers’ center depth chart. He has started only two contests during his debut Pittsburgh campaign, but a run as the first-team center was in store until a torn rotator cuff was suffered in August.

Zach Frazier enjoyed a strong rookie campaign upon filling in for Herbig, whose two-year spell as a teammate of brother Nick Herbig came to an end when he headed to Washington. The Commanders have Tyler Biadasz in place as their preferred center option, but Herbig was set to compete for a role at one of the guard spots. That will no longer be the case, however, as Washington moves forward with its remaining options up front.

In all, Herbig totaled 63 combined regular and postseason appearances over the course of his career. His NFL tenure will come to an end after accumulating $11.5MM in career earnings.

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin Reports To Camp; No Extension In Place

Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who held out of the first several days of training camp as part of his effort to secure a lucrative extension, has reported to the team, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. However, there is no new contract in place, and Washington has put McLaurin on the active/PUP list with an ankle injury.

In addressing the situation, head coach Dan Quinn said McLaurin will work off to the side with trainers to get his ankle better (via ESPN’s John Keim). It is unclear whether McLaurin will practice with the club once he has fully recovered.

While Keim notes McLaurin was dealing with an injury to the same ankle at the end of last season, multiple writers appear skeptical about the ailment. Schefter suggests McLaurin is simply engaging in a hold-in rather than a holdout, and JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington said, “I bet [the ankle] would get better with an 8 figure check.”

Indeed, Keim confirms today’s development does not mean there has been progress towards an agreement, and player and team will continue discussions in that regard. McLaurin has not publicly indicated what he is seeking in negotiations, but Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post suggests his floor could be $32MM – $33MM per year. In terms of average annual value, that would place McLaurin among the top-six highest earners at the wide receiver position, though guarantees and cash flow are generally more important benchmarks.

Offering a slightly more optimistic take than Keim, ESPN’s Field Yates says McLaurin’s reporting is “maybe” a sign that the parties have bridged at least some of the gap between them. In any event, hold-ins are typically viewed as a more effective negotiating tool than holdouts, and McLaurin surely wanted to stop the accrual of daily fines that accompanied his holdout. McLaurin missed three days of minicamp and four days of training camp, pushing his fine total to $305K (via Jhabvala). He also missed out on a $500K workout bonus.

McLaurin’s age (30 in September) could make it harder for him to join younger peers like Garrett Wilson (25) and D.K. Metcalf (27), who are making between $32MM to $33MM per year on their new deals. Nonetheless, McLaurin’s importance to the Commanders is obvious, and trading the two-time Pro Bowler would surely run counter to the team’s goal of another deep postseason run.

For now, Quinn – who said he spoke with McLaurin Saturday night – is simply glad to have the franchise stalwart in the building.

“It was great,” Quinn said (via Keim). “I’m really pumped that he’s here.”

The HC added, “On the business side, [GM Adam Peters] and the guys are still working hard with Terry and his reps. While on PUP, it’s just like we do with other guys — work with the trainers to get back as soon as he can.”

In a corresponding move, the Commanders have waived Fentrell Cypress II with an injury designation. Cypress was a priority undrafted free agent in this year’s class and secured $145K in guarantees. Washington clearly did not see enough from him in spring practices or the first few days of training camp to keep him on the roster.

NFL Minor Transactions: 7/24/25

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: G Michael Jordan, OL Tyler McLellan
  • Waived/injured: OL Silas Dzansi
  • Placed on reserve/retired list: OT Garret Greenfield

Washington Commanders

Following rumblings yesterday that Artie Burns may have suffered a season-ending injury, the bad news was confirmed today, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Dolphins cornerback indeed suffered a torn ACL. It’s a tough break for the veteran, who’s looking to revive his NFL career after being limited to only four games with the Seahawks last season. The Dolphins were quick to sign a replacement, as Miami signed Cornell Armstrong. A former sixth-round pick by the Dolphins, Armstrong last appeared in an NFL game in 2022, when he started four of his nine games for the Falcons.

The Buccaneers did some shuffling on their offensive line today. In comes a pair of lineman: Michael Jordan, who started 11 games for the Patriots last season, and Tyler McLellan, a six-foot-eight, 355-pound lineman out of Campbell. Garret Greenfield, a UDFA in the 2024 draft, has apparently decided to hang up his cleats, and the team also moved on from Silas Dzansi with an injury designation.

The Commanders were looking ahead to 2026 today, as the team added an extra year to Percy Butler‘s contract. The former fourth-round pick has had some run in the starting lineup, including a 2023 season where he started 13 games while compiling 64 tackles and eight passes defended. He started five of 17 games in 2024 while establishing himself as one of Washington’s special teams aces.

Commanders’ Terry McLaurin Begins Holdout

JULY 24: During an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show (video link), NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero noted McLaurin is currently in the Virginia area as his holdout continues. Per Pelissero, all options – anything from requesting a trade to backing down and playing the 2025 season without an extension in hand – remain on the table at this point. In the absence of an agreement, an escalation on the part of McLaurin’s camp looms as a potential development in this saga.

JULY 22: Terry McLaurin did not report to Commanders training camp, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, marking the start of a holdout amid his protracted extension talks with the team.

Washington’s veterans were due to report today for a conditioning test, which was described as an “unofficial start” to training camp by Schefter. McLaurin was the only Commander not in attendance, which is expected to remain the case until he reaches an agreement on a new contract.

General manager Adam Peters made it clear earlier today that the organization would “do whatever we can to get a deal done,” although the front office apparently didn’t show enough urgency to avoid a holdout. McLaurin will now face daily fines of $50K for missed practices.

Entering the final season of his three-year, $68MM extension from 2022, McLaurin has cited recent deals signed at his position. Garrett Wilson was the most recent wideout to receive a lucrative extension, as the Jets WR garnered a four-year, $130MM contract that included $90MM in guaranteed money. McLaurin’s situation is a bit unique considering he’s set to enter his age-30 campaign, but the Commanders star could still expect a hefty payout on his next deal.

The former third-round pick has topped 900 receiving yards in each of his six NFL seasons, including five-straight years of 1,000-plus yards. The 2024 season was one of the most productive campaigns of his career, as McLaurin finished with 82 catches for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns.

While the Commanders appear motivated to work out a long-term pact, there shouldn’t be a lack of suitors if the organization suddenly pivots to a trade. Just the other day, we heard that the Patriots would have interest in acquiring the star receiver, and New England surely wouldn’t be the only potential landing spot for the Pro Bowler.

In the meantime, McLaurin’s absence will give several players an opportunity to push for first-team reps in Washington. This group includes veterans K.J. Osborn and Michael Gallup as well as recent draftees Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/25

With several training camps underway, here are today’s minor NFL transactions:

Baltimore Ravend

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

  • Claimed off waivers (from Eagles): DE K.J. Henry

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Houston fans may be discouraged to see a few big names on injured lists, but all is not lost. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 tells us that Mixon’s “medical outlook is positive” as the team plans to gradually increase his activity throughout camp. Likewise, Autry is expected to ease his way back into camp workouts, as well. Pierce, on the other hand, is expected to be ready to come off the list at the start of camp.

Per ESPN’s John Keim, Cosmi likely won’t see much time on the field in camp, but he appears to be hitting all the mile markers en route to being healthy for the start of the regular season. With McLaurin officially beginning his holdout yesterday, the team has made the corresponding roster move. McLaurin will rack up fines of $50K per each day missed, but if the team can come to terms on an extension, they can make sure those fines are nullified.

Jayden Daniels Drove Von Miller To Commanders; DE Discussed Deals Elsewhere

Von Miller‘s four years with Peyton Manning brought two Super Bowl berths and a championship; the Broncos secured four straight playoff byes during that period. The all-time pass-rushing great, however, suffered through Denver’s failed quests to replace the QB legend from 2016 until his 2021 departure. That period has impacted how Miller has approached free agency.

Denver traded Miller during the ’21 season, and his half-season with Matthew Stafford resulted in a Rams Super Bowl win. The Super Bowl 50 MVP then aligned with Josh Allen as a high-profile free agent in 2022. While Miller’s second ACL tear marred his Bills agreement, leading to a March release, he took the same approach to free agency this time around.

Going into an age-36 season, Miller said (via the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala) he met with multiple teams. His Commanders summit took place in late June, and Jayden Daniels sat in on a lunch that included Dan Quinn and GM Adam Peters. Daniels’ presence sold Miller, who signed a one-year, $6.1MM deal (with $4.4MM in additional incentives) last week.

It was the best team with the best quarterback,” Miller said, via Jhabvala. “That’s usually the math for me to be able to go and do what I do. You can’t leave Josh Allen and just go anywhere. You can’t leave your old girlfriend and just go with just anybody. Josh Allen was MVP of the league last year. I feel like Jayden Daniels has MVP potential as well.”

Washington has not seen a starting QB hold the reins for more than six seasons since Joe Theismann‘s gruesome leg injury; that was 40 years ago. Although Robert Griffin III submitted a strong rookie season, the 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year flamed out after an ACL tear sustained in the playoffs. Kirk Cousins started for the bulk of four seasons, while Super Bowl XXIV MVP Mark Rypien is the closest thing the franchise has seen to a long-tenured signal-caller, operating in that capacity for the better part of six years. The Commanders saw Daniels submit a monster rookie-year showing, however, one that catapulted the franchise to its first NFC title game since the 1991 team’s championship rampage.

Daniels’ potential to be the organization’s elusive long-tenured franchise QB obviously matters to just about every party in the building, though it probably does not impact Miller’s thinking due to his age. Daniels dragging a moderately talented roster to the Super Bowl precipice as a rookie certainly grabbed the 15th-year veteran’s attention.

With Daniels on a rookie contract through at least 2026, the Commanders have a tremendous opportunity. Miller will step in as a key option opposite Dorance Armstrong this season, helping a Commanders team that was set to carry a glaring hole into training camp. Miller suffered through some lean years as the Broncos sputtered replacing Manning, and he continues to select teams with ascending QBs when free to do so.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/22/25

With training camps kicking off around the NFL, teams continue to make adjustments to their rosters. Here are today’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Waived: DT Dante Barnett
  • Placed on active/NFI: RB Zack Moss

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: K Mark McNamee

Houston Texans

  • Waived: CB Keydrain Calligan

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Waived: OT Savion Washington

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Waived: OT Obinna Eze

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Adam Peters: Talks Ongoing Between Commanders, Terry McLaurin

Reports of dissatisfaction in the case of Terry McLaurin have been prevalent through much of the Commanders’ offseason. No extension agreement is in place with training camp set to begin, but communication is taking place between team and player.

“I think everybody in this building values Terry very much,” general manager Adam Peters said on Tuesday when speaking to the media (via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post). “We knew that coming in and we know that even more after spending a year with him… We’ll do whatever we can to get a deal done.”

Peters and McLaurin have long had a mutual desire to work out a new deal. One year remains on the Pro Bowl wideout’s current pact, but a raise is in store and an extension would lower his scheduled cap charge of $25.5MM. McLaurin’s latest comments made it clear he is not happy with the lack of progress in negotiations, leading to the expectation he will not participate in camp until an agreement is struck. Peters noted he expects the 29-year-old to attend camp, but that could simply be the precursor to a hold-in effort.

Of course, things could change in a short period in this situation as deadlines (artificial or otherwise) often lead to contract breakthroughs. After skipping minicamp, though, McLaurin and the Commanders have considerable progress to make in time for Week 1. The difficult nature of contract talks has proven to be a surprise so far. Peters nevertheless made it clear that hammering out a new pact remains a priority, adding (via ESPN’s John Keim) the parties have spoken recently.

Zero traction being gained in the wake of renewed negotiations would obviously add further to this unwanted storyline as the Commanders aim to build off last year’s success. While Deebo Samuel was acquired via trade, McLaurin is of course on track to once again serve as the focal point of the team’s passing attack. With five straight 1,000-yard campaigns to his name, the Ohio State product could be in line to join the list of wideouts averaging $30MM or more per season.

Zagging (in terms of deciding to trade an extension-eligible player instead of committing to a new pact) has taken place in a number of receiver cases recently, including 2025. If Washington was to consider a trade, the Patriots would become a suitor to watch. Still, it would come as a surprise if such a move were to receiving serious consideration, particularly if progress can be made at the negotiating table relatively soon.

Years of production with underwhelming quarterback play has helped McLaurin’s value to the Commanders. He will be expected to remain a foundational member of the team’s offense come Week 1, but at this point it is still unclear if an agreement will have been reached by that point.

Commanders’ Stadium Deal Could Be Tied To Name Change

Attention regarding the Commanders will soon turn to training camp, but the team’s stadium situation remains unsettled at this point. A resolution could wind up being tied to the franchise’s name.

In a Truth Social post on Sunday, president Donald Trump indicated he could attempt to hold up Washington’s new stadium deal if the team’s name does not revert back to Redskins. The franchise operated under that moniker in 1933 upon its founding and retained it after moving from Boston to the nation’s capital. It was dropped after the 2019 campaign.

For a pair of seasons, with a new name being sought out, the franchise operated as the Washington Football Team. Beginning in the 2022 season – the last with former owner Dan Snyder in place – the Commanders name was adopted. Upon taking over as controlling owner in the summer of 2023, Josh Harris faced questions about a potential name change. He has maintained that one is not being contemplated, however.

“I may put a restriction on them that if they don’t change the name back to the original ‘Washington Redskins,’ and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, ‘Washington Commanders,’ I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington,” Trump’s post reads in part (via the Associated Press through ESPN).

Efforts have been made in recent months to finalize a deal allowing the Commanders’ new stadium to be built on the former site of the RFK stadium. That served as the franchise’s home from 1961-96. Since then, home games have taken place in Landover, Maryland. An agreement was previously announced between the Commanders and the District of Columbia to build a new stadium at the old RFK site, but it has not been finalized yet.

D.C.’s window to exclusively negotiate with the Commanders over a stadium deal closed on July 15. While a deal between the parties could still become official in the future, WUSA9’s Ittai Sopher and Alexis Wainwright report Maryland and Virginia have since been in contact with the team and pitched the idea of a stadium in their respective constituencies. The report maintains D.C. is still the frontrunner at this point, though.

It will be interesting to see how D.C. council as well as Congress – which controls the city’s budget – will proceed in the near future with respect to a stadium agreement. Likewise, it remains to be seen if issues on that front will alter Harris’ stance on a name change and whether or not Trump decides to take steps aimed at bringing about an end to the Commanders moniker.