For years, Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin built a reputation as one of the NFL’s best wide receivers on one of the worst teams.
For the first 5 seasons of his career, McLaurin averaged 1,056.6 receiving yards per season, including career lows of 58 receptions for 919 yards as a rookie in 2019. Each year, his team just seemed to get worse.
Then, 2024 happened.
Paired with rookie quarterback and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels, McLaurin led the Commanders with 82 receptions for 1,096 yards and a franchise record 13 touchdowns on the way to earning NFL All-Pro honors for the first time. The Commanders went 12-5, advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991 and had their first winning season with McLaurin on the roster.
McLaurin’s value only continued to rise in the postseason, where he had 14 receptions for 237 yards and scored 3 touchdowns — one in each game.
With McLaurin headed into the final season of the 3-year, $68.36 million contract extension he signed in March 2022, Washington Commanders general manager addressed his star wide receiver’s future at the annual NFL owner meetings. Peters was effusive of the player who has been a true leader for the Commanders for years.
“The short answer is we want to make Terry a Commander for a long time,” Peters told The Athletic’s Ben Standig on April 1. ” … “He’s a great Commander. He got better and better as the season went on, not only as a player, but as a leader. It was really impressive to see him grow so much. You think of Terry as this pristine, polished player, but then he got even better, so it’s really cool. Everybody can get better, even the great ones.”
While Spotrac has McLaurin’s market value at a projected 3-year, $89.7 million contract with $29.9 million in average annual salary, that number is probably a bit low.
Considering the way the market for the NFL’s best wide receivers has skyrocketed the last 2 years, offering McLaurin a 3-year, $100 million contract with close to $70 million in guaranteed money might be more in line with reality. That would make McLaurin one of the NFL’s Top 5 highest paid wide receivers at a little over $33 million per season.
McLaurin has spent his entire career with the Commanders after they selected him in the third round (No. 76 overall) of the 2019 NFL draft out of Ohio State. He’s also been one of the NFL’s most durable wide receivers in that time. He’s only missed 3 games in 6 seasons and hasn’t missed a game since Week 16 of the 2020 season — a streak of 73 games including the regular season and playoffs.
Commanders Added Another All-Pro WR in Offseason
For the first time in his career, McLaurin will have another elite wide receiver running alongside him in 2025 after the Commanders traded for fellow NFL All-Pro Deebo Samuel.
The addition of Samuel and Pro Bowl offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil via trades represents the Commanders going all-in as Super Bowl contenders. The Commanders also moved to fully guarantee the final year of Samuel’s contract in for $17 million for 2025.
