In the absence of progress at the negotiating table, Terry McLaurin went public with a trade request on Thursday. The chances of the Commanders dealing him away have long been viewed as low, and that remains the case at this point.
A number of teams inquired with Washington about McLaurin prior to the news of his trade request. As Nicki Jhabvala and Dianna Russini of The Athletic report, though, the Commanders informed suitors they have no plans of moving on from the two-time Pro Bowler. The sides remain at an impasse regarding extension talks, so interest on the trade front will no doubt continue until and unless an agreement is reached.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated notes a number of issues (including overall value and guarantees) are yet to be resolved in McLaurin’s case. That differs from, for instance, the case of Trey Hendrickson and the Bengals. The AAV of a new Cincinnati agreement appears to have been hammered out, but the sides are at an impasse with respect to guaranteeing more than the first year of any new pact. It remains to be seen general manager Adam Peters and the Commanders will be willing to reach or surpass $30M per year on a long-term contract.
While remarking on the situation, one general manager told Russini they liken this case to that of Haason Reddick from last year. Reddick engaged in lengthy holdout with the Jets while seeking an extension following his trade from the Eagles. In the end, a short-term compromise was made but Reddick’s debut was delayed until Week 8 and he departed in free agency after an underwhelming campaign. Any similar absence through the regular season — something which, to be clear, McLaurin has not yet threatened — would of course be highly detrimental to a Commanders team aiming to duplicate last year’s run to the NFC title game.
During a Friday appearance on the “Rich Eisen Show” (video link), NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said a trade cannot completely be ruled out at this point. The Patriots are known to be a potential suitor in the event Peters’ approach changes and consideration is given to a swap. Such a move would leave Washington with trade acquisition (and pending 2026 free agent) Deebo Samuel atop the WR depth chart.
However, the Commanders have a star quarterback on a rookie contract, opening up a clear competitive window for them to build around Jayden Daniels before he commands a market-level salary. That would seem to include investing in a perennial thousand-yard threat like McLaurin — who already has an impressive rapport with his young QB. Coming to an agreement with the soon-to-be 30-year-old feels like an inevitability, whether it be before Week 1 or partway into the regular season.
