The Washington Commanders have one primary goal left to accomplish before the start of the 2025 season.
And it centers around All-Pro receiver Terry McLaurin, who is on the final year of his contract but has held out of the team's offseason program and will likely no-show at training camp if he is not given his desired extension.
The New York Jets made history Monday by getting ahead of a situation like this, as they signed star wideout Garrett Wilson to a four-year, $130 million extension. Per ESPN, it is the first time a receiver has received more than $31 million per year after having played only three seasons.
How this relates to McLaurin? It is said that the Commanders' star has requested a contract value near the top of the receiver market - something Wilson just leapt into with the new fifth highest-paying deal by APY.
Wilson's new annual value doesn't blow the roof off of the market, but it certainly raises the floor of McLaurin's potential deal.
It is major negotiation leverage for McLaurin in his stalemate with the Commanders, as his consistency closely reflects that of Wilson's ... and his current resume is arguably better.
The two former Ohio State Buckeyes are on a streak of surpassing 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Wilson has done it in each of his three NFL seasons. McLaurin has done it in the last five seasons of his six-year career, the outlier being his 919-yard rookie season in 2019.
McLaurin, like Wilson, had also remained an elite-level pass-catcher despite frequent underwhelming quarterback play ... until last season when Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels burst onto the scene.
Wilson won that award in 2022, but has not yet met the league-wide acclaim of McLaurin, who has two Pro Bowl selections and earned his first All-Pro nod last season.
Judging by their output in 2024 alone, McLaurin has another edge over Wilson in productivity. Wilson had 1,104 yards receiving on 101 catches to go with seven touchdowns. McLaurin had just eight (8) less receiving yards ... on 19 less receptions. Oh, and he also had the second-most touchdown catches in the league with 13.
It is plenty justifiable for McLaurin to deserve a contract in the range - or greater than - Wilson's.
"Scary Terry's" current contract worth $68.3 million has an average annual value of $22.7 million - 17th richest in the league.
With pressure mounting to live up to the new 12-5 standard in Year 2 of the Daniels era, Washington's situation with their star receiver has already been "scary" with the thought of a longer holdout.
And and now it likely just got more expensive.
With training camp beginning next week, this serves as another petrifying reminder to the Commanders that an eventual new deal for McLaurin will continue rising in price the longer they wait to get something done.
