Commanders Sign Ex-49ers WR Amid Terry McLaurin Standoff

They are seemingly at an impasse with their top wide receiver, Terry McLaurin, so it makes sense the Washington Commanders added an extra body at the position at the start of training camp, a free agent already known to general manager Adam Peters.

The latter was in the front office for the San Francisco 49ers when the team signed Davontavean ‘Tay’ Martin as an undrafted rookie back in 2022. Now, Martin will get his chance to at least be part of the practice squad for Peters in Washington, after spending last season with the Tennessee Titans, with his latest move in free agency confirmed on Wednesday, July 23 by Commanders.com Senior Writer Zach Selby.

There’s quite a few degrees of separation between a relatively untested young receiver like Martin, who is “primarily a practice squad player” and “has played in four games and caught one pass for 49 yards and a touchdowns for the Titans last season,” per Selby, and McLaurin.

The Commanders’ go-to target has five-straight 1,000-yard seasons to his credit and is one of the tougher and more reliable playmakers in the NFL. McLaurin’s playing a couple of levels above Martin, but the latter’s arrival is more than a coincidence, given the Commanders’ contract standoff with their best pass-catcher.

Especially when, as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio put it, “the Commanders put Terry McLaurin on the reserve/did not report list on Wednesday and they signed another wide receiver later in the day.”

Commanders Still at Impasse With Terry McLaurin

Peters still hasn’t paid McLaurin commensurate with a true WR1, and some are less than impressed with this stingy policy. Finding a compromise is proving tough, but David Aldridge of The Athletic thinks “that would mean, having asked a person or two in the know, paying McLaurin a few dollars more than DK Metcalf, the now-Pittsburgh Steelers receiver who got a four-year extension for nearly $132 million this spring after being acquired from the Seattle Seahawks. Metcalf, more than two years younger than McLaurin, was in the same 2019 draft class. He was the last pick of the second round. McLaurin was taken No. 76 overall in the third round.”

Paying McLaurin in line with his value to the Commanders is a tricky needle to thread for Peters. He’s engineered high-profile trades for a trio of big-name veterans, cornerback Marshon Lattimore, wide receiver Deebo Samuel and left tackle Laremy Tunsil.

All three are Pro Bowl and All-Pro level talents, and each will soon need to be paid accordingly if they continue to produce at those levels. That’s a big if, but looming contract decisions are surely on Peters’ mind amid the dangerous game he’s playing with the receiver who did more than any other to help star quarterback Jayden Daniels take the NFL by storm as a rookie in 2024.

Daniels, for his part, is taking the situation in his stride and remaining upbeat that “whenever that time comes and he’s (McLaurin) back on the field, I don’t think we’ll miss a beat,” per Ethan Cadeaux of Monumental Sports Network.

Optimism is one thing, but it’s still possible the Commanders are prepared to walk away from McLaurin, despite his sterling service. The receiver room is now populated by one more contingency should no breakthrough in negotiations be reached.

Tay Martin Adds to Commanders’ Options at Wide Receiver

Martin faces an uphill battle just to stick on the roster, with Florio pointing out “his stay in Washington could be dependent on how long McLaurin remains away from the team while looking for a new contract.”

At least Peters has the benefit of some inside information on the 27-year-old newcomer. It was the Niners who gave Martin a chance after no pro team deemed the former Oklahoma State standout worthy of a draft pick.

He hasn’t had much of a chance to prove his worth since, playing in a mere four games, but Martin did make his lone catch in the big league count. He hauled in this 49-yard touchdown against the Houston Texans last season.

The play showcased a speedster who can get vertical and use a 6-foot-3 frame to make a catch in traffic. Those are qualities any NFL passing game needs, but Martin’s quest for reps in Washington will pit him against dual-threat stud Samuel, potential breakout rookie Jaylin Lane, second-year pro Luke McCaffrey, who’s also expected to take his game up a notch, and former Dallas Cowboys 1,000-yard receiver Michael Gallup.

Add in Noah Brown, hero of last season’s dramatic ‘Hail Maryland’ win over the Chicago Bears, and the Commanders may feel they can continue playing hardball with McLaurin. He’s better than most, if not all, of the names on that list, but McLaurin could price himself out of a lengthy and prolific rapport with the quarterback who inspired career-best numbers for the receiver last season.