Commanders’ McLaurin requests trade as contract negotiations stall

Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin requested a trade on Thursday evening as contract negotiations stalled, sources familiar with the negotiations confirmed to The Washington Times.

After leading the Commanders in receiving yards last season, McLaurin entered this summer with eyes on a contract extension. The Pro Bowler is entering the final year of his deal with the team. 

The team has not said whether they plan to fulfill McLaurin’s trade demand. General manager Adam Peters has reportedly shot down trade offers for the star receiver throughout the offseason, according to multiple reports. 

Throughout conversations with reporters, the Ohio State product has said he wants to be paid like one of the best receivers in the league. McLaurin is reportedly seeking a contract comparable to the four-year, $132 million deal that Pittsburgh Steelers receiver D.K. Metcalf received this offseason. 

The Commanders have not offered a contract in that range, to the receiver’s dismay. 

“When you’ve proven who you are, you want that to be honored, you want that to be respected, you want that to be valued,” McLaurin told reporters before training camp. “My value is so much more than a dollar amount … but I’d be remiss to not acknowledge that in our business, the dollar amount is attached to someone’s value.”

After skipping June’s mandatory minicamp and the first week of training camp, McLaurin rejoined the team on Sunday. He had already accumulated more than $300,000 in fines. With the holdout over, the 2019 third-round pick started a hold-in, declining to practice with the team as contract negotiations continued.

He’s also on the “Physically Unable to Perform” list with an ankle injury. 

“You kind of lose sight of some things when the business gets involved. I never lost sight of the way [my teammates] 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.” 

Despite the injury — which skeptics around the league viewed as an excuse to avoid practicing — McLaurin and agent Buddy Baker established a routine at this week’s practices. After his teammates left the field, McLaurin and Baker would stand together and talk for about 10 minutes. 

Then, the receiver would spend about 30 minutes signing autographs for a crowd of adoring fans. 

“My beef is not with y’all,” McLaurin told Washington’s supporters on Sunday. “I love y’all.”

It’s unclear where the Commanders and McLaurin differ on contract negotiations, though the receiver’s age appears to be a concern. McLaurin turns 30 years old on Sept. 15. 

The NFL reserves its biggest wide receiver contracts for younger pass-catchers. New York Jets receiver Garrett Wilson, 25, signed a four-year, $130 million contract extension earlier this month. 

The Commanders have likely offered McLaurin a deal closer to the contract signed by Denver Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton on Monday. The 29-year-old received a four-year, $92 million deal. 

Negotiations between the Commanders and McLaurin reportedly stalled in recent days. 

McLaurin’s Commanders teammates have publicly supported the fan favorite throughout his contract negotiations. 

“It’s great having Terry back in the building. We just communicate like a normal day; we talk about ball, we talk about life,” star quarterback Jayden Daniels said. “Nothing’s changed at all.”