Terry McLaurin signed cereal boxes, jerseys, helmets, footballs, signs and hats for fans at Commanders training camp on Sunday. But, despite reporting to the team facility and ending his holdout, the Pro Bowler has not signed a new contract.
McLaurin continues to negotiate an extension as he enters the final season of his contract.
Though he joined his teammates at the team facility, McLaurin did not practice. The team removed him from the “Did Not Report” list and added him to the active roster with a “Physically Unable to Perform” designation. Commanders coach Dan Quinn said a lingering ankle injury will limit McLaurin in practice.
He cannot join the team in walkthroughs or team practices until he’s medically cleared. The ankle didn’t stop him from meeting dozens of fans at the first open practice of training camp.
“You kind of lose sight of some things when the business gets involved. I never lost sight of the way they supported me and the way I pour into them and the way they pour into me,” the Commanders’ leading receiver said. “At the end of the day, it’s business, but it has nothing to do with them.”
The Pro Bowler had missed the first week of training camp and faces $200,000 in mandatory fines for missing the first four days of the preseason program. He could face an additional $105,000 in penalties for skipping last month’s mandatory minicamp.
Reporting to camp doesn’t end McLaurin’s contract negotiations, but it does remove the potential for more financial penalties.
McLaurin’s presence was welcomed by Quinn.
“This is an awesome competitor at his core. Sometimes you think of somebody in a word comes into your mind or a thought, and that’s what comes to mind with me; that’s one of those traits,” the second-year coach said. “There’s good, and then there’s excellent at something.”
The holdout might be over, but McLaurin isn’t on the field yet. Quinn won’t be rushing him back. The team knew of the ankle issue near the end of last season — the coaches weren’t surprised when he reported on Sunday.
McLaurin, a favorite target of star quarterback Jayden Daniels, will slowly work back onto the field.
Team officials are unsure when the receiver could return to practice.
“We know we have a really good process for this: protecting the player is protecting the team. We follow it; we believe in it,” Quinn said. “Sometimes it’s just a short time, sometimes it’s longer. So, once we get all the information, we’ll put the whole plan in place for him and take it from there.”
The star pass-catcher’s off-field demeanor hasn’t changed, though.
“He seemed very much like himself,” Quinn said. “There’s always a serious competitor, a pro in a lot of respects. He just handles things the right way.”
After watching his teammates practice, McLaurin took the field without a helmet or jersey. After a brief on-field conversation with his agent, the fan favorite spent more than 20 minutes signing autographs.
The mob surrounding him in the camp’s “Kid Zone” slowly dwindled as McLaurin signed autographs for every child who asked for one. Each fan received eye contact, a “how are you doing” and a “thanks for coming.”
“My beef is not with y’all,” McLaurin told fans. “I love y’all.”
The Ohio State product briefly addressed reporters before turning to the team facility. He did not specify why Sunday was the right time to end the holdout. He also didn’t clarify whether he was “holding in,” a practice some players use to dodge fines, where they report to camp but refuse to practice without a new deal.
With the ankle injury, McLaurin found himself in an unusual place — the sidelines.
“It’s tough, but it’s the business right now,” he said. “Just trying to take things day by day.”
McLaurin participated in the optional offseason program this spring, working with Daniels and new receiver Deebo Samuel. It was only when the activities heated up — and negotiations stalled — that McLaurin decided to stay home.
“It feels good to be around my teammates and around my fans. I can’t beat that at all,” he said after stepping on the practice field for the first time in months. “They show me a lot of love and support and I just try to give that back, not just on the field but off the field.”
His coaches and teammates have issued a similar refrain throughout the holdout, insisting that there are no hard feelings.
It’s just business, according to Quinn, Daniels and linebacker Bobby Wagner.
“What I’ve learned is to give people grace in that spot,” Quinn said. “Most of the time with players, being around teammates, locker room, field — that is the happy place. And so being around and connected to teams, that’s where most of us feel our best.”
The Commanders open the preseason on Aug. 8 against the New England Patriots before the regular-season opener on Sept. 7 against the New York Giants.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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