The Washington Commanders do not appear close to reaching any sort of breakthrough in contract talks with wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
McLaurin remains a non-participant in training camp as he seeks a new contract from the Commanders. According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, the two sides are not making any real progress on talks, and there is a real chance that the contract standoff persists into the regular season.
Robinson wrote that McLaurin’s camp wants a deal similar to the four-year, $132 million contract DK Metcalf received from the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this offseason. The Commanders, however, are so far only willing to give McLaurin a slightly richer version of Courtland Sutton’s four-year, $92 million deal with the Denver Broncos.
A trade is still viewed as unlikely, in part because there are no other teams particularly eager to give McLaurin anything close to the contract he is looking for. Teams have at least inquired about McLaurin’s availability, but for now, the Commanders are not listening.
McLaurin has formally requested a trade from the Commanders as contract talks stall. That has not yet worked as a bargaining tactic, as the team does not appear to be budging. That leaves McLaurin’s status for Week 1 very much in doubt.
The 29-year-old wide receiver is in the final year of a three-year, $68 million contract he signed in 2022. He had 82 catches for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. It was his fifth-straight season with at least 1,000 receiving yards.