Washington Commanders’ wide receiver Terry McLaurin has ended his contract holdout. He was spotted at training camp on Saturday after missing the Commanders’ first three practices. Fans present at the Commanders’ practice facility in Ashburn, Virginia cheered McLaurin as he stood on the sidelines to sign autographs. Now that Washington’s star receiver is in training camp, the Commanders can get back to business. And that business is continuing to see how second year quarterback Jayden Daniels can build on his epic 2024 rookie season. McLaurin’s presence in training camp is the first step in that process.
But the Commanders have a long way to go. As of this writing, McLaurin and Washington’s front office have not reached an agreement on a long term contract extension. To further complicate matters, McLaurin was placed on the physically unable to perform list by the team due to a lingering ankle injury suffered at the end of the 2024 season. The timetable for McLaurin’s return to the practice field is uncertain, which means less practice time for McLaurin and Daniels to work on continuing their on field chemistry.
However, McLaurin’s looming absence will not affect Daniels at all. In 2024, Daniels showed an uncanny ability to anchor Washington’s passing offense. Six Commanders recorded 30 or more receptions, reaffirming that Washington’s offense isn’t predicated only on Daniels’ ability to run the football. The one player that will be affected by McLaurin’s contract dispute is newly acquired wide receiver Deebo Samuel. It’s possible that Washington General Manager Adam Peters acquired Samuel before the start of the 2025 season because of McLaurin’s impending contract negotiation. McLaurin’s camp appearance reaffirms his desire to play for the Commanders. The addition of Samuel solidifies Washington’s wide receiver corps in 2025.
But what about 2026? McLaurin is currently in the final deal of a 3 year, $68 .3 million contract. If an extension isn’t reached, McLaurin will likely find other teams more than willing to sign him to the lucrative deal commensurate with today’s wide receiver market. That means Samuel will be Washington’s number one receiver. It’s a role that is familiar to Samuel, as he was the San Francisco 49ers’ top receiver for the last six years. It will be different in Washington, as McLaurin’s potential defection leaves no proven wide receiver depth behind Samuel. The Commanders’ wide receiver corps contains a mixture of journeyman veterans and young, unproven players. As mentioned previously, Daniels was able to maximize his offensive teammates in 2024. He will be hard pressed to do the same in 2025 now that NFL teams have a full year of film on him.
Lack of depth isn’t the only issue surrounding Samuel if McLaurin leaves Washington. Samuel has proven to be effective in the running game during his tenure in San Francisco. Commanders’ offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury will likely design some plays for Samuel in the running game. McLaurin’s status as Washington’s primary receiver means that Samuel can be used liberally in the Commanders’ rushing attack, giving the team another added threat. McLaurin’s possible exit from Washington totally defeats that purpose.
Samuel also has one year left on his current contract, meaning that he will also look to negotiate an extension with the Commanders in 2026. Washington’s hesitance to extend McLaurin appears to be because of his age. McLaurin turns 30 years old in September, and teams are hesitant to give contract extensions to 30-year-old receivers. With that said, Samuel is only four months younger than McLaurin. The Commanders would have the same hurdle to clear with Samuel before the 2026 season. In short, Washington has two big decisions to make regarding their top two wide receivers.
But there’s no need to get ahead of ourselves. Right now, the focus is on McLaurin getting treatment for his ankle and getting back to the practice field. It’ll be interesting to see how this all transpires in the future.