3 days ago
Terry McLaurin faces 'scary' impasse over new Commanders contract: Report
The Washington Commanders might have to prepare for life without star wide receiver Terry McLaurin if they aren't willing to give him a major contract extension.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter told The Pat McAfee Show on Monday that he thinks McLaurin wants "considerably more" than what Pittsburgh Steelers receiver DK Metcalf recently earned on his new contract.
Schefter added that the Commanders aren't willing to pay McLaurin that much money right now.
"They love and value Terry McLaurin, but they love and value him at a different price," Schefter reported during his segment.
If you're a Commanders fan, this might not be the mot pleasant clip you watch this week.
McLaurin is in the midst of a hold-in with the franchise, as he's around the team facilities but presumably not practicing until he gets a new contract. The team recently put McLaurin on the PUP list with an ankle injury, and he was seen giving autographs to fans on Sunday.
McLaurin told reporters on Monday he's taking his contract situation "day by day," but Schefter's reporting does put into question if these two sides will be able to come together on a mutually beneficial deal any time soon.
Per Over the Cap, McLaurin making more than Metcalf (about $33 million annually) would put him within the top-four paid receivers in the league at present, with only Bengals wideout Ja'Marr Chase ($40.25 million), Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson ($35 million) and Cowboy wideout CeeDee Lamb ($34 million) making more annually on their deals.
McLaurin is making $25.5 million this season in the last year of his deal, so a pay raise would probably be about $9-10 million annually more annually if we had to guess based on what Metcalf is making.
Washington has superstar quarterback Jayden Daniels on a rookie salary, so money in essence shouldn't be an issue in the long term. McLaurin being 30 might be factored into the equation, but his remarkable durability throughout his career suggests more dependable football on the horizon.
McLaurin's production remains remarkably consistent, too, as he has posted more than a thousand receiving yards in each season of his career outside of his 2019 rookie campaign. He had a career-high 13 touchdowns last year in the regular season and added three more in the postseason. He is instrumental to his team's overall success.
The numbers game most likely just comes down to how much McLaurin views his value to the franchise and how much the franchise views his value in comparison to other star receivers in the league. Giving him Lamb's deal feels incredibly reasonable given how vital McLaurin is to the passing game, but would he want more? Is Washington not willing to even eclipse what Metcalf earned from Pittsburgh in the offseason? Just how far off are these two sides?
Questions abound for McLaurin and the Commanders, as a pivotal season ahead currently can't rely on the offense's best non-quarterback playmaker joining the lineup.
If Washington can't make a deal work before the first week of the season, it's officially scary business in D.C.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Terry McLaurin faces 'scary' impasse over new Commanders contract: Report
