Phase 3 of the offseason has started for the Washington Commanders as OTAs kicked off on Wednesday. There’s a lot of storylines worth monitoring throughout the offseason on and off the field, but one of the more notable headlines will be about Terry McLaurin missing practice time while he waits for his new extension to get done.
McLaurin was one of only three players absent on the first day of OTAs, and his absence comes with the expectation that a new deal could be on the way for the fan favorite. GM Adam Peters noted at the league meeting back in March that they have been in contact with Terry’s agent, and that they want to make him a “Commander for a long time.”
McLaurin is coming off a career-best season with Kliff Kingsbury and Jayden Daniels and doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. What could McLaurin be getting contract-wise, and when could we expect a new deal to come?
OTAs are voluntary practices that are taking place, and his agent is likely advising him not to risk injury during these critical times of getting a deal done very soon. Washington’s mandatory minicamp starts on June 10th, and the best-case scenario is for the deal to be done before then, and not let this drag into mandatory practice time and become a bigger storyline.
Spotrac recently released a projection for what Terry McLaurin could realistically be paid with his new extension, and he deserves every dollar of it.
Terry McLaurin is a top-10 wide receiver in the league and arguably better than DK Metcalf. He is also two years older than Metcalf, which could land him around the same contract numbers as Metcalf with $33 million annually. There’s a good chance the extension is a three-year extension, making McLaurin a Washington Commander for the rest of his career.
There’s another factor worth noting when it comes to paying Terry, and that’s how Washington could need to spend money elsewhere as well. Washington could very well be in the market for a one-year free agent veteran like Justin Simmons or Za’Darius Smith, making the salary cap hit in the first year of Terry’s new contract important for the flexibility to do so. Peters could also be looking to give Laremy Tunsil a new deal, and Marshon Lattimore, who also doesn’t have much guaranteed money left on his current deal.
Obviously, these deals won’t stop Washington from extending McLaurin, but they add more pieces to the puzzle that Peters has to move around to ensure everything works smoothly and leave the door open for more additions or new contracts. Terry McLaurin isn’t the type of player to miss practice and wants to be out there with his team, but his missing OTAs could mean a deal is close, and he deserves every dollar coming his way.