The Commanders and wide receiver Terry McLaurin reached an agreement yesterday for a three-year contract extension worth $96 million, which will end his hold-in and enable him to don his uniform for the regular-season opener against the Giants, agents Buddy Baker and Tony Bonagura informed ESPN.
McLaurin will receive a $30 million signing bonus as part of the deal, according to ESPN reports.
McLaurin and the Commanders’ front office had been at odds over his value since talks began early this offseason. By finalising this agreement now, the Commanders will retain their most consistent offensive player since he arrived as a third-round pick in 2019.
Coming off his second Pro Bowl appearance, McLaurin has surpassed 1,000 yards for five consecutive seasons. He had anticipated that would lead to a swift extension, but that did not materialise, and McLaurin expressed deep frustration during a 30-minute news conference on 15 July. He did not report to camp a week later and was fined for missing the first four days—a total of $200,000. He had already incurred a fine of $104,768 for missing the mandatory three-day minicamp in June.
After reporting, McLaurin was placed on the physically unable to perform list due to an ankle injury the team stated had occurred late in the season. He was able to participate in voluntary workouts in the spring before skipping OTA practice and minicamp.
He was activated from the PUP list on 16 August.
McLaurin requested a trade on 31 July, but that was not something Washington entertained.
According to multiple reports and league sources, the name most frequently cited as a benchmark for McLaurin’s aspirations was Pittsburgh Steelers receiver DK Metcalf. After trading for him this offseason, the Steelers awarded Metcalf a four-year deal worth $33 million per year, with $60 million guaranteed.
McLaurin’s age was a concern for Washington, according to various sources. He will turn 31 when the extension begins, an age when receivers typically start to decline. The Commanders are a team that places a strong emphasis on analytics. Among the top 24 active receivers with the most guaranteed money, only one, the Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill, was 30 or older at the time of signing.
Washington also wanted to avoid setting a precedent of what it viewed as overpaying to retain a player, according to team sources, as several key players are up for costly extensions or new deals next offseason: tackle Laremy Tunsil, linebacker Frankie Luvu, and potentially corner Marshon Lattimore and receiver Deebo Samuel.
By retaining McLaurin beyond this season, the Commanders provide quarterback Jayden Daniels with his preferred target as the season commences. The two players developed a strong rapport in camp last season, which continued into 2024, when McLaurin finished with 82 catches for 1,096 yards. His 13 touchdowns were one less than his total over the previous three years combined.
Daniels recorded a Total QBR of 90.6 (out of 100) when targeting McLaurin. Of his 12 passes that gained 30 or more yards to wide receivers, six were directed to McLaurin.
