ASHBURN, Va. — As the situation has unfolded over recent weeks, Terry McLaurin was absent from the Washington Commanders’ practice session on Sunday. Similarly, Noah Brown was not present — and uncertainty surrounds the timeline for when or if quarterback Jayden Daniels will have his complete assemblage of intended wide receivers as the NFL season commences.
Currently, Daniels has Deebo Samuel available — accompanied by persistent queries regarding the amount of practice time needed with McLaurin and Brown to achieve readiness and establish rhythm before the Week 1 contest against the New York Giants.
His response on Sunday lacked clarity, mirroring the ambiguity of his wide receiver roster: “I manage aspects within my control.”
Unless Daniels directly intervenes in another’s circumstances — a behavior not typically associated with him — resolutions to Washington’s remaining wide receiver concerns must originate from alternate sources. Concerning Brown, his consistent and unimpeded return to practice will serve as the primary indicator of progress.
However, what about McLaurin and his ongoing hold-in stemming from a contract extension impasse?
To phrase it precisely: The situation is not beyond remedy. Yet, it is undoubtedly unfavorable.
[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]
This sentiment underscored the situation on Sunday, with the Commanders firmly entrenched in their negotiation position on one side, and McLaurin and his agent equally resolute on the opposite side. Currently, these positions are notably distant. It is reasonable to contemplate the possibility of this stalemate persisting until the initial week of the regular season, without McLaurin setting foot on the practice field.
This prospect will inevitably raise the question of whether Washington will contemplate trading a player who functions as both a team captain and the clear top wide receiver. Presently, this appears improbable for two primary reasons: Firstly, Washington aims to keep McLaurin alongside Daniels, as the coaching staff and front office seek to maintain his integral role within the organization’s structure. Secondly, a limited number of teams are eager to provide McLaurin with the extension he desires.
How significant is the gap between the two parties? Information is closely guarded, but contract comparisons offer some insight. One reference point is the four-year, $132 million extension granted to DK Metcalf by the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, including $60 million guaranteed. The alternative benchmark is somewhat less defined, but can be considered a more substantial version of the four-year $92 million extension between Courtland Sutton and the Denver Broncos, featuring $41 million in guarantees.
Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) speaks to his agent Buddy Baker during training camp on July 27. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
(The Washington Post via Getty Images)
While not directly equivalent, these comparisons provide a sense of the difference in valuation between McLaurin and the Commanders. The primary distinction between the Metcalf and Sutton agreements, apart from the notable disparity in guaranteed money and annual average salary ($33 million AAV versus $23 million AAV), lies in the fact that Metcalf signed his contract at the age of 27 with a Steelers team that was highly motivated to retain him for an extended period. Conversely, the Broncos pursued a more cautious strategy with Sutton, who is nearing 30 and approaching the outer limits of his prime.
One player is younger and benefits from favorable production-to-age metrics, while the other does not.
As McLaurin will turn 30 in the coming month, he is placed into a more speculative category. The Commanders are cognizant of this, as is the rest of the league. This is reflected in the fact that among all wide receivers in league history who have signed contracts exceeding $23 million annually, only two were 30 years old (or turning 30) in the same year they secured their deals: Tyreek Hill in 2024 with the Miami Dolphins ($30 million AAV) and Davante Adams ($28 million) with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022. Critically, both had previously earned multiple first-team All-Pro selections.
[Get more Commanders news: Washington team feed]
This is not intended to suggest that McLaurin is not among the league’s top wide receivers, nor to downplay the significance of his role in Daniels’ emergence in 2024. Rather, it serves to illustrate the source of the current disagreement. The receivers who have recently secured contracts comparable to Metcalf’s have either been at the peak of their careers or exceptional players in their thirties with Hall of Fame-caliber achievements.
Were McLaurin to fit into either of these categories, the Commanders would have received a flood of trade inquiries from teams willing to offer him a Metcalf-level extension. To date, no such activity has been observed. This situation has caused the Commanders to stand firm on their financial parameters, and McLaurin to do the same. Caught in the middle is Daniels, who requires some resolution with the upper tier of his wide receiver group if Washington hopes to start strong and challenge the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC East title this season.
This is where optimism enters the equation. Should the division be that the Commanders are offering approximately $25 million per season and $45+ million in guaranteed money — which I believe is within the reasonable range — versus the Metcalf figures of $33 million and $60 million in guarantees, the difference amounts to $8 million in yearly salary and $15 million in guarantees. While not insignificant, this gap is narrower than the initial proposals from both sides, which were so far apart that reaching an agreement seemed virtually impossible. The fact that the parties are now at least marginally closer than their starting positions represents progress that may continue.
With the NFL season just a month away, the next two weeks will be critical for dealmaking. Given McLaurin’s extended absence from the field, his return and subsequent build-up will likely require several weeks before he can participate without limitations. A more rushed approach risks potential injury, and the worst-case scenario for the Commanders in 2025 would be to reach an agreement with McLaurin only to have him suffer a significant injury (See: the San Francisco 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk last season).
For Daniels, this means that a deadline is approaching for the development of early-season chemistry within the Commanders. Regrettably, this is one of the few football-related timelines over which he lacks control.
