Oh, the irony.
Washington Commanders star wideout Terry McLaurin finally has a star quarterback throwing him the ball, and he's holding out.
McLaurin was drafted by Washington with the 76th overall pick in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He's had to play through a plethora of subpar starting quarterbacks since then, including names like Case Keenum, Dwayne Haskins, Colt McCoy, Alex Smith, Kyle Allen, Taylor Heinicke, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Garrett Gilbert, Carson Wentz and Sam Howell.
But in 2024, he finally got his franchise quarterback, along with a shiny new owner, coach, and basically a new franchise. And after a successful season of 82 catches for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns, he enters the final year of his contract.
And it's because of that, he wants the security of a new deal. And there's nothing wrong with that. That's normal business in the NFL these days.
Jeff Kerr with CBS Sports offered some NFL minicamp overreactions, and the Terry McLaurin situation was one that was discussed. Is it an overreaction to say that the Commanders' star wideout won't be on the roster in Week 1?
Commanders will not have Terry McLaurin on roster at start of season:
Overreaction or reality: Overreaction
"Terry McLaurin is holding out over a contract dispute, as he's entering the final year of his contract. Due a significant raise, McLaurin currently has a base salary of $15.5 million with a cap hit of $25.5 million -- the final year of a three-year, $68.4 million deal. This is typical business between McLaurin and the Commanders, as both sides went through a similar situation prior to McLaurin's last extension. The Commanders don't seem too concerned about it, but the market has certainly changed since McLaurin's last extension."
McLaurin is worth every penny (in today's NFL) of $30 million per year. And with Daniels working on his economic rookie deal, why would the Commanders not pay their receiver? The Super Bowl window opened wide last season before abruptly shutting in the NFC Championship game against the Eagles.
But that window is open again if McLaurin is on the field.