Terry McLaurin may be at odds with the Washington Commanders, but he reportedly isn’t at odds with his coaches and teammates, including quarterback Jayden Daniels.
After lengthy, seemingly unproductive contract extension negotiations, McLaurin requested a trade from the Commanders last week. While Washington has indicated it does not plan to trade McLaurin, its top wide receiver over the past several seasons, the fact remains that McLaurin is not participating in practices and could choose to sit out even when the regular season rolls around.
Still, at least on the surface, there doesn’t appear to be much acrimony between McLaurin and the players and coaches; in fact, it was revealed that McLaurin and Daniels, in particular, are still preparing together.
“How and when this all gets resolved is still a mystery, but McLaurin’s absence from practice is noteworthy,” ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano wrote. “The day I was there, fellow wide receiver Noah Brown also missed practice due to an injury. Without those two, there really isn’t a significant downfield threat among the Commanders’ receivers. You see a lot of Daniels throwing to Deebo Samuel and tight end Zach Ertz, both of whom are reliable veterans but neither of whom is going to help Daniels to throw deep.
“McLaurin’s leverage, to the extent that he has any, appears to be that they clearly need him if they want to operate their offense. He has been upfront with the coaching staff about what’s going on. He informed Quinn of the trade request before it became public. Daniels said the two of them have been talking a lot and watching film together. So whenever the standoff ends or McLaurin decides to start practicing, it shouldn’t take long for things to rev back up. In the meantime, it’s the one negative storyline that’s cropped up around this team since Quinn and general manager Adam Peters came in last offseason.”
The purported “sticking point” for the Commanders during negotiations is McLaurin’s age and how it may be a factor during a potential long-term extension. A third-round draft pick in 2019, McLaurin will turn 30 years old within the first few weeks of the season, which has apparently made the Commanders shy away from giving him the multi-year, $3o million-or-more-per-year deal that McLaurin has reportedly wanted.
As Graziano laid out, though, Washington might not have much choice, considering the team’s high expectations after a stunning 12-5 season and run to the NFC Championship Game in 2024. McLaurin played a major role in that as Daniels’ favorite target; he had 82 receptions, more than 1,000 yards, and a career-high 13 touchdowns last season.
The Commanders are set to open the 2025 season on Sept. 7 vs. the New York Giants.
The post Commanders’ Jayden Daniels drops Terry McLaurin revelation amid contract, trade drama appeared first on ClutchPoints.
