Where do things currently stand between the Washington Commanders and wide receiver Terry McLaurin? Two weeks before the 2025 season opener, McLaurin still hasn’t practiced as he has yet to receive a new contract extension.
McLaurin’s asking price was reportedly much higher than Washington or any other NFL team would be comfortable paying for a soon-to-be 30-year-old receiver. While we don’t know the numbers either side has tossed around, we do know they’ve been far apart and things have been ugly.
Could negotiations actually be in a better place now than they were a week ago? Well, for one, they couldn’t be any worse. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently visited Commanders’ training camp and came away with five observations. One observation focused on McLaurin.
Breer wrote the following on McLaurin:
As for McLaurin, I think the negotiation is in a better spot than it’s been, but the sides started out pretty far apart, so there was a lot of ground to make up. Maybe the deadlines in the next couple of weeks will help push an agreement through.
Keep in mind, this isn’t a report. It’s more of a hunch, but Breer heard something from someone. Was it McLaurin’s side or Washington’s side?
After not attending Monday’s game against the Bengals, McLaurin was at Saturday’s preseason finale. But he didn’t look happy. Eric Flack of WUSA 9 in Washington, D.C., shared the following video of McLaurin sitting on the bench alone with a hoodie.
Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin spent most of today’s game standing (or sitting) by himself on the sideline. He did speak with veteran LB Bobby Wagner for an extended period in the first half. Wagner does not have an agent and represents himself in contract negotiations. pic.twitter.com/uqPMPEsCre
— Eric Flack (@EricFlackTV) August 23, 2025
It’s important to note that this is just one snippet from a three-hour game; However, Flack noted that McLaurin spent most of Saturday’s game this way. Flack also said that McLaurin did spend time talking to linebacker Bobby Wagner, and JP Finlay of NBC Washington took this photo of McLaurin ahead of the game interacting with teammates.
Jaylin Lane getting some vet advice from Noah Brown and Terry McLaurin. pic.twitter.com/BgKkRe8bv9
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) August 23, 2025
Regardless of where you stand, the body language is bad. It doesn’t look great.
Back to Breer’s story. Perhaps there has been recent progress between the two sides, and McLaurin received advice from his agent to appear unhappy until things are resolved. Who knows. This situation has dragged on for far too long, and McLaurin’s side should realize Washington GM Adam Peters isn’t playing around.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Where do things currently stand between Commanders and Terry McLaurin?
