Commanders hit with $130 million curveball in Terry McLaurin standoff

As training camp approaches, Washington Commanders fans are worried star receiver Terry McLaurin could hold out. The veteran is entering the final season of his contract, and as one of the best receivers in the league, it only makes sense he wants a new deal before taking the field in 2025. If securing McLaurin long term, and making sure he doesn’t miss any time of training camp wasn’t enough motivation, the Commanders just got another nudge to get the deal done.

On Monday, the New York Jets extended wide receiver Garrett Wilson to a four-year deal worth $130 million. While this may seem like Wilson and the Jets’ business, the numbers of the contract will have ramifications for the rest of the league. While Wilson’s $32.5 million annually didn’t reset the market, it did raise the floor of what top wideouts will now ask for. That’s good news for McLaurin, but bad news for Washington.

Commanders need to quickly extend Terry McLaurin after Garrett Wilson’s new deal

It's understood that the longer a deal takes to get done, the more expensive the deal will get. Washington is being reminded of that, because McLaurin and his representation are definitely paying attention to the market. With Wilson’s contract now added to things, McLaurin could start to demand more money. Knowing they can’t afford to lose him, the Commanders have to eventually cave and give their No. 1 wideout a massive deal. With that being inevitable, the team needs to get this deal done asap, and stop costing itself money.

McLaurin has dominated since entering the league, catching 460 passes for 6,379 yards and 38 touchdowns in six years with Washington. The receiver has been durable, starting every game of the last four seasons, and he has consistently delivered. On and off the field, he has been everything a team wants in a franchise star.

That’s why it doesn’t make sense the team is even in a contract saga with him. The Commanders should have already given him an extension, but since they didn’t, they need to be prepared to a add a few more millions to the deal.