The saga is over: Terry McLaurin is back, and will be in DC for another few years!
News broke late Monday morning that the Commanders and their WR1 have agreed to a three-year extension worth up to $96 million, with Nicki Jhabvala confirming to BMitch & Finlay (among other reports) that the deal includes a $30 million signing bonus.
While full details of the rest of the deal, including guaranteed money beyond the bonus, are still unknown, that bonus does take care of what was one of the sticking points, it seemed, this summer: Terry’s base salary of roughly $19 million for 2025 wasn’t guaranteed.
Thus ends a summer-long drama that saw McLaurin sit out OTAs, minicamp, and the first week of training camp before reporting, only to go on PUP with an ankle injury – and later request a trade as he sought a contract that was reportedly similar to DK Metcalf’s $33m AAV with Pittsburgh, as now eight receivers have signed deals with an AAV of $30 million of more.
As it is, however, McLaurin, who turns 30 on Sept. 15, now looks like he will be one of two receivers over age 30 making $30 million or more per season when that deal kicks in – Tyreek Hill is in the midst of a three-year, $90 million deal – and will remain in DC through his age-33 season.
McLaurin was a fourth-round pick in 2019 back in the Jay Gruden/Bruce Allen era, and has been the one constant in the organization through the end of that pair, through the Ron Rivera/Marty Party era, a change of ownership, and now, the AP/DQ era.
He has missed just three games over six seasons in the NFL and amassed 460 catches for 6/379 yards and 38 TD, including a career-high 13 last year, and his totals last year of 82 catches and 1,096 yards were his second and third-most, respectively, in his six seasons.