Only Terry McLaurin's camp and the Washington Commanders' top decision-makers truly know what's going on at the negotiating table at this time. If there are discussions actively happening, then McLaurin is expected to be seeking a deal that will help him secure one of the highest-paying contracts for a wide receiver currently.
CBS Sports' Joel Corry, a former sports agent, recently penned some thoughts on the current standoff.
How could the standoff find its resolution? Hear from the pro.
"Expect McLaurin's camp to factor the franchise tag amount into their negotiation equation," Corry wrote.
"One way to try to help resolve the stalemate between McLaurin and the Commanders could be to look at the contracts of the six wide receivers named first- or second-team All-Pro last season. Chase and Jefferson, as well as Amon-Ra St. Brown, were on the first team. [AJ] Brown signed a four-year, $120.01 million extension averaging $30,002,500 per year with the Detroit Lions in April 2024. The deal has $77 million in guarantees, of which $34.666 million was fully guaranteed at signing."
Being that AJ Brown earned a second-team All-Pro nod, just like Dallas' CeDee Lamb and McLaurin, his average of $32 million per year is an example of what the Commanders might have to consider for their guy.
"Taking everything into consideration, it's hard to envision a realistic scenario where McLaurin accepts less than Brandon Aiyuk's $30 million per year in an extension even though there is an age difference between the two," Corry added.
Heading into the 2025 NFL season, McLaurin has a base salary of $15.5 million. His cap hit is set at $25.5 million.
While McLaurin's success and consistency have made it easy to understand he's deserving of another big payday, the Commanders will have to put a lot of thought into the future with their younger stars. Plus, Jayden Daniels' extension time will be here sooner than they know it, and that's trending in the direction of becoming a record-setting deal in the future.
The overwhelming expectation is that the Commanders will eventually decide to meet McLaurin's demands and keep him locked with Jayden Daniels after the wideout caught 82 passes for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns last year.
But the longer the Commanders wait, the more frustrated the other side gets, leading to potential trade pressure.
Will McLaurin demand a move? Will he continue holding out? Only time will tell that much. The only thing that's for sure is that the Commanders will have to pay up if they want him back on the field and playing for them.
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