Terry McLaurin’s Latest Offseason Move Amid Commanders Contract Dispute Turns Heads

Pretty much everything has gone the Washington Commanders‘ way over the past year or so. They landed Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, made a run to the NFC Championship Game last year, and have spent the offseason upgrading their team. Things have taken a turn, though, when it comes to star wide receiver Terry McLaurin and his contract situation.

To this point, McLaurin and the Commanders have not been able to find common ground in their contract extension negotiations, resulting in him skipping mandatory minicamp. While the situation may be taking a toll on McLaurin, he isn’t letting it show, as he recently caught the attention of fans with his latest offseason move.

Terry McLaurin Gives Back to Commanders Fans Amid Contract Dispute

McLaurin latched on with the Commanders in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and it didn’t take long for him to emerge as one of the most consistent wide receivers in the league. McLaurin has racked up at least 900 receiving yards in each of his first six seasons, and if he didn’t miss two games as a rookie in 2019, he likely would have managed to eclipse 1,000 yards in all six seasons (that was the only year in which he’s failed to reach that mark to this point).

2024 was easily the best season of McLaurin’s career, as he caught 82 passes for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns, the latter of which was a career high. The former Ohio State Buckeyes star earned his second Pro Bowl selection and a spot on the All-Pro Second Team, which was the first time in his career he had found his way onto one of the two All-Pro teams.

As he prepares to enter the final year of his three-year, $68.36 million contract, McLaurin wants a new deal, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. And while he doesn’t appear to be on the same page as the Commanders front office, he’s not taking his anger out on the team’s fans. In fact, McLaurin recently popped out for a meet-and-greet with some of Washington’s fans, with the star pass catcher seeming to be in good spirits according to those in attendance.

“Terry McLaurin is currently out in Chantilly, VA at a CSA Shows event,” George Carmi of Full Press NFL shared in a post on X Saturday afternoon. “CSA Shows hosts vendors tables, sports card memorabilia, and player meet-and-greets. Per CSA, McLaurin was a ‘big hit’ amongst Commanders fans today. Terry seems in good spirits.”

Commanders Hoping to Find Common Ground with Terry McLaurin

The fact that McLaurin skipped mandatory minicamp indicates that he is not happy with how Washington is approaching his contract extension talks, which is never a good sign. While it may not be much, anytime there’s any sort of rift between a player and a team, rumors are going to swirl, which is what is happening with McLaurin. Given all that the Commanders have built recently, though, it seems unlikely he will be on the move anytime soon.

The good news is that it’s still only June, meaning that there is time for a resolution to be reached between these two sides. McLaurin may not be happy with Washington’s front office, but it seems like he’s still committed to being a part of their long-term future. And as long as that is true, the Commanders should be able to find a way to sign him to a new deal before the start of the 2025 campaign.