Washington Commanders’ wide receiver Terry McLaurin was a no-show at the team’s mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, June 10. This development might be seen as concerning to many Commanders fans. At the same time, second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels emerged as Washington’s undisputed team leader (of the offensive unit at least). McLaurin is the team’s heart and soul. During his six-year career in Washington, McLaurin has averaged 77 receptions for 1,063 yards. He has compiled these statistics with below-average quarterback play for much of his career until the arrival of Daniels in 2024. McLaurin, or “Scary Terry” as he’s been called in Commanders’ circles, caught a career high 13 touchdown passes in 2024 while earning second team NFL All-Pro honors.
McLaurin is in the final year of a three-year, $68 million deal that he first signed in 2022. It can be reasoned that he would like to be compensated, much like the deal that Pittsburgh Steelers’ wide receiver D.K. Metcalf signed. Metcalf signed a five-year, $150 million contract in 2025 after being traded by his former team, the Seattle Seahawks, for a second-round pick. McLaurin was Daniels’ primary receiver in 2024, playing a crucial role for the Commanders. They finished with a 12-5 record that preceded a surprising playoff run that led to the NFC Championship game. Considering that McLaurin appears to be a solid man on and off the field, resigning him should be Washington’s top priority.
As of this writing, no deal has been reached. To add a little more intrigue to the situation, Commanders’ general manager Adam Peters traded a fifth-round pick to the San Francisco 49ers to acquire standout wide receiver Deebo Samuel in March 2025. Peters and Samuel are familiar with each other, as both were members of the 49ers’ organization from 2019 to 2023, with Peters serving as Assistant General Manager for the club from 2021 to 2023. Samuel’s best season was in 2021, when he recorded 77 receptions for 1,402 yards for San Francisco. Samuel has proven his offensive versatility as a running back, rushing 202 times for 1,143 yards and 20 touchdowns during his six-year career. It’s easy to see how the acquisition of Samuel will bolster the offense.
Samuel’s acquisition shouldn’t be interpreted as an end to McLaurin’s tenure in Washington. Talented wide receivers like McLaurin, who lead by example, are hard to come by. The Commanders would be foolish to facilitate McLaurin’s exit from Washington to sign with another team. He’s the reason why Daniels won the 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and could even be considered an MVP candidate in 2025. Since the Commanders are in “win now” mode, it can be reasoned that resigning McLaurin to a new deal would be conducive to winning right now
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