Subscribe
Follow Us
The Washington Commanders are in a weird spot with Terry McLaurin. After another 1,000-yard season by McLaurin and one of the best years as a team for the Washington franchise in decades, the Commanders and their top wide receiver are in a standoff.
McLaurin is in the midst of a hold-in and has requested a trade from the Commanders after his representation and the team could not come to an agreement on a contract extension. There hasn't seemingly been any substantive progress made so far, and while that is concerning for Washington and its fans, head coach Dan Quinn said it might be a good thing for Deebo Samuel.
“Quinn said one unintended consequence of not having McLaurin on the field is that it's meant more time for Deebo Samuel and Jayden Daniels to connect. Quinn called it a ‘silver lining,'” ESPN's Commanders reporter John Keim posted on X, formerly Twitter.
How much of a silver lining remains to be seen, although it would appear obvious that for the Commanders to have as much success as last season (or more), they will need McLaurin to be on the field.
While Samuel proved highly effective and versatile as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, his conditioning and health have been questioned recently. Additionally, he is not a No. 1 option like McLaurin, who has had five seasons with 77 catches or more, while Samuel's career-high is 77, and that remains the only time he has surpassed the 60-reception threshold.
Samuel, instead, can be used in the run game. He has 1,143 career rushing yards and 20 touchdowns, just two fewer than his career receiving touchdown total.
McLaurin has been a consistent release valve of sorts for Washington's quarterbacks since being drafted in 2019. Other than his rookie season, in which he had 919 yards, Samuel has reached the 1,000-yard mark each season. Additionally, this past year, he caught 13 touchdown passes, nearly double his previous career high and more than a third of his six-year career total.
However, he, like Samuel, is 29, and there seems to be a large degree of hesitation from the Commanders to pay McLaurin a considerable amount of money in his early or mid-30s. McLaurin reportedly wants to be paid at least $30 million per year in his next deal, which would put him in the Top 10 of wide receivers' contracts.
The Commanders, no matter if McLaurin is suiting up or not, open the season on Sept. 7 at home vs. the New York Giants.
