Catch-17

McLaurin's trade request shows Commanders have dropped the ball

Associated Press photo

Maybe Terry McLaurin’s reported trade request is just a necessary but unpleasant step in the negotiation process between an NFL team and a star player. It worked out just fine for Myles Garrett, whose demand to leave Cleveland helped make him the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player — and didn’t require moving expenses.

Still, the news that McLaurin’s impasse with the Washington Commanders has devolved to the point where he’s asking out can’t be spun as anything but a red flag for a franchise that is hoping to shed decades of dysfunction. It takes a long time to build trust and goodwill, but it can be lost in a second.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has written a War and Peace-length treatise on the subject, if you want all of the minutiae. But for brevity’s sake, after a honeymoon 2024 season and an apparent agreement to return to the old RFK Stadium site, the Commanders have reverted to form and are once again facing a crisis of their own creation.

As we’ve discussed in this space before, keeping McLaurin happy and productive should be Priority 1B in Washington, a close second to doing the same for Jayden Daniels. McLaurin was an unexpected godsend as a former third-round draft pick who became the team’s most productive player (pre-Daniels) on the field and its upstanding unofficial spokesman off it.

And unless there’s something in his physical exam that’s not public knowledge, it makes zero sense for the Commanders not to extend his contract, albeit at a rapidly rising price tag for receivers.

McLaurin is entering the final season of a market value four-year, $92 million contract he signed in 2022. Yes, he’s a month shy of his 30th birthday — an age after which most wideouts’ numbers decline noticeably. But he’s coming off the best season of his six-year pro career, which not coincidentally was the team’s best year in over three decades. His work ethic, sure hands and maturity are unmatched in D.C.

More importantly, McLaurin and Daniels forged an unmistakable bond that resulted in 13 touchdown connections (plus three more in the playoffs) and 14 victories last season. Losing that security blanket could stunt Daniels’ development — and could invoke some early skepticism in their star second-year quarterback about the team’s willingness to retain its core players.

According to reports, McLaurin isn’t asking for Ja’Marr Chase ($40 million per year) or Justin Jefferson ($35 million) money. It’s likely that the Commanders could have satisfied him (and stayed safely under the salary cap) with a three-year deal averaging just over $30 million annually earlier in the negotiations.

Now, though, with the trade demand, his asking price is probably rising. He’s likely seeking CeeDee Lamb money ($34 million) or Tyreek Hill status ($30 million at age 31). DK Metcalf’s four-year, $132 million deal with the Steelers is also often used for comparison.

That would make it a bit harder for general manager Adam Peters to make work. Still, he should.

The Commanders still have three years before they need to give Daniels the huge salary spike that will complicate their cap strategy. By that point, McLaurin should be past his prime, so his salary won’t be an issue.

It’s hard to envision any scenario in which the Commanders would be better in 2025 without McLaurin than with him. Even with him, it’s unlikely they’ll match last season’s surprising 12 regular-season victories and two playoff triumphs. Their schedule is more challenging; their defense isn’t noticeably better; and teams have a better idea of how to defend Daniels. (Easier said than done.)

Peters and coach Dan Quinn are both relatively new to Washington, and they produced a remarkable turnaround after almost completely purging the roster of holdovers from the Ron Rivera era. But they shouldn’t underestimate just how valuable McLaurin is to the franchise and its long-suffering fans. They’ve let the negotiations deteriorate further than they should have, creating a potential crisis.

(And if you’re not willing to pay McLaurin market value, you can’t expect another team to give you better than a third-round pick for him in a trade.)

Again, it’s possible that this will be resolved amicably in the coming weeks. McLaurin may get his money, and everyone (with the possible exception of the team’s salary cap steward) will be smiling.

Until then, though, it’s DEFCON2. It’s no Cuban Missile Crisis, but a lot is at stake. Unlike McLaurin, the Commanders look like they may be dropping the ball.