Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin is frustrated with a lack of progress regarding a potential contract extension, according to various reports. McLaurin is making his displeasure known by skipping OTAs. It's a storyline worth monitoring with mandatory minicamp beginning on June 10.
This isn't the first time McLaurin has skipped voluntary workouts to make a statement. He conducted a similar protest in 2022 before agreeing to a three-year, $69.6 million deal in July, prior to training camp. McLaurin is hoping for a similar outcome now.
Talks between McLaurin and the Commanders have been described as "minimal" to date, as he’s scheduled to enter the final year of his deal. McLaurin is slated to earn a base salary of $15.5 million this season. His annual average of $23.2 million ranks 16th among wide receivers across the NFL, behind new teammate Deebo Samuel’s $23.85 million annual average.
Sources: #Commanders All-Pro WR Terry McLaurin has made it clear to the team that he’s frustrated with the lack of progress on a long-term deal. As I previously reported, McLaurin unexpectedly left voluntary workouts after initially attending, and it remains to be seen whether… pic.twitter.com/5lUXbe8dxe
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) June 5, 2025
McLaurin recorded a career-high 13 touchdowns in 2024, his first season playing with a legitimate franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels. The former third-round selection accumulated 82 receptions for 1,096 yards—his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season.
McLaurin exposes himself to financial penalties if he skips next week's mandatory minicamp. The veteran receiver should remain steadfast in his fight for a new contract, though. This could represent the final opportunity for the 29-year-old to sign a lucrative extension.
McLaurin's representation has fantastic reference points for their negotiations. An abundance of receiver deals have been done this offseason. Ja'Marr Chase became the highest-paid wideout in NFL history, inking a four-year, $161 million extension. McLaurin obviously isn’t going to reach those heights, but there are other example-setting deals to base discussions around. Perhaps the most comparable contract is the five-year, $150 million extension DK Metcalf signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers following his trade away from the Seattle Seahawks.
Metcalf is two years younger than McLaurin, so a five-year extension may be a tough sell. Instead, McLaurin should petition for something around the $32.9 million average annual salary Metcalf is earning on his new deal. It made the former Ole Miss standout the fourth-highest paid receiver in the league per year.
McLaurin recorded roughly 100 more yards than Metcalf in 2024, who had a slight down year by his standards. Ageism could help dictate the conversation, but McLaurin will certainly want to surpass $30 million per campaign. That serves as the starting point for discussions with Commanders' general manager Adam Peters.
McLaurin could sign a three-year extension worth approximately $94.5 million. McLaurin's average annual earnings of $31.5 million on such a proposal would make him the sixth-highest paid receiver, just behind Metcalf and A.J. Brown, the latter of whom signed his reworked deal last summer.
McLaurin suffered from poor quarterback play for the majority of his early career. Daniels finally brought out McLaurin's full potential, evidenced by his career-high 13 touchdowns. The definition of consistency, regardless of circumstance, McLaurin has earned a new extension that surpasses $30 million per season.
