With Terry McLaurin entering the fourth and final season of his rookie deal, the Commanders have yet to make their top receiver a contract offer, a source tells Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan.
According to Paulsen, the Commanders met with McLaurin's agent at the NFL Combine last month and have continued to have an ongoing dialogue, but that has yet to materialize in the form of a formal extension offer.
McLaurin, 26, continues to etch a larger profile for himself with each passing year. The former third-round pick in 2019 is now coming off consecutive 1,000-plus-yard seasons, establishing himself as one of the best young receivers in the league.
The price tag for top wide receivers has skyrocketed this offseason, with Davante Adams receiving a new five-year, $140 million deal and Tyreek Hill a new four-year, $120 million deal after their respective trades to the Raiders and Dolphins.
Commanders head coach Ron Rivera recently preached patience with McLaurin negotiations, telling Ben Standig of The Athletic, "We've got plenty of time."
Time is still on Washington's side for now, but the Commanders could quickly lose any leverage they have if they fail to strike a deal with McLaurin before training camp. That would put the fourth-year receiver in line to hit free agency after the 2022 season, bringing Washington into franchise tag territory next offseason, or worse, at risk of losing McLaurin altogether.
OverTheCap.com projects the franchise tag for receivers to land around $20.1 million in 2023. While that could be a bargain for one year, the Commanders are no strangers to the escalating risks of playing the franchise tag game. They just lost All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff to the Jaguars after using the franchise tag on him in consecutive offseasons.
And, another two offseasons from now, the receiver market — that's already exploding — could look drastically different (read: more expensive).
Standig reported earlier this week that when it comes to negotiations with McLaurin, "sources on both sides anticipate intensified extension talks for McLaurin starting around or after the NFL Draft (April 28-30) while pointing toward a June or July resolution."
Last summer, Washington reached an agreement on a new deal with defensive tackle Jonathan Allen only minutes before training camp began in late July.
Paulsen further notes that Washington is expected to free up more money this summer when the release of safety Landon Collins — released in March with a post-June 1 designation — officially hits the books.
