Terry McLaurin's contract extension impasse with the Commanders might see him leaving the team via trade during the 2025 NFL preseason. Here would be the top suitors for his receiving services.
Terry McLaurin wants a raise via contract extension from the Washington Commanders. According to a report by NFL insider Jordan Schultz, he's unhappy enough with the lack of progress on a new deal to request a trade from the team.
McLaurin played with the best QB of his career last season, rookie Jayden Daniels, leading to the best season of his career when he caught 82 passes for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns. His current contract has him earning $68 million over three years, with 2026 looming as his free-agent season.
Although the Commanders would like to keep McLaurin with Daniels and new wideout Deebo Samuel to boost their Super Bowl 60 chances after reaching the NFC championship game last season, they should also explore getting something for him if he can't play through '25.
Here's looking at the five best landing spots for McLaurin, based on need, scheme, and capacity to acquire him.
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Terry McLaurin landing spots
New York Jets
The Jets have a past connection to McLaurin, as former Commanders offensive coordinator Scott Turner serves as the passing game coordinator for new starting QB Justin Fields. The team just gave star wideout Garrett Wilson a four-year, $130 million deal, but it has around $30 million in cap space to welcome a veteran complement.Â
McLaurin would be a huge upgrade from potential No. 2 and No. 3 options Josh Reynolds and Tyler Johnson. This is by far the best fit, as McLaurin would operate well opposite true No. 1 Wilson for Fields.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders' new offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly, has Jakobi Meyers as his underrated wide receiver and also stud second-year tight end Brock Bowers to catch passes from Geno Smith. But after Meyers on the depth chart, Tre Tucker and rookie fourth-rounder Dont'e Thornton are running ahead of rookie second-rounder Jack Bech early in training camp.Â
McLaurin would give the Raiders a legitimate third target for Smith to complement Meyers and Bowers well. He'd be a key upgrade to play well off the revamped running game featuring rookie first-rounder Ashton Jeanty.
New England Patriots
The Patriots' depth chart is thin after veteran newcomer Stefon Diggs, who turns 32 in November and is coming off a torn ACL in his only season with the Texans. New England has a ton of cap space to pursue McLaurin, putting him with their promising second-year QB, Drake Maye.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are also thin at wide receiver and could use a veteran presence to take pressure off second-year man Marvin Harrison Jr., who's working to live up to the massive hype as a top target for Kyler Murray in Year 2. Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch are next on the depth chart, and Arizona is looking at more than $35 million in available cap space.
San Francisco 49ers
Brandon Aiyuk has no clear timetable for return from the major knee injuries he suffered last season. Former franchise stalwart Samuel is in Washington, and Jauan Jennings, who is also looking for a deal, now has a concerning calf injury. The 49ers need to be wary of too much falling on second-year first-rounder Ricky Pearsall to boost Brock Purdy as the second target behind go-to tight end George Kittle. As crazy as it sounds, an odd way of arriving at a Samuel for McLaurin deal can be beneficial to both teams.
Chicago Bears
The Bears are loaded around Caleb Williams, or so it appears, with wide receivers D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III (their rookie second-rounder), and tight ends Colston Loveland (their rookie first-rounder) and Cole Kmet. That's before getting to adept receiver D'Andre Swift out of the backfield.
But they do have a bit of an experience void beyond Moore and Kmet after moving on from Keenan Allen. The Bears have limited cap space, but they could also try to move a veteran player to Washington to take their shot on pairing McLaurin with Williams. Coach Ben Johnson can keep up the theme of loading up his new offense, and there's a connection here, too, as former Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy serves as Chicago's running backs coach.
Category: Football
