This clearly isn't what McLaurin would want.
Commanders' Terry McLaurin faces 'career-ending' scenario amid trade request, contract saga originally appeared on The Sporting News
Terry McLaurin has asked out.
The Washington Commanders' star receiver is entering the final season of a three-year, $68 million contract, and he wants an extension that will pay him like the Steelers are paying DK Metcalf (four years, $132 million).
The Commanders don't seem in a hurry to pay that for a 30-year old receiver, and so McLaurin has requested a trade.
Right now, the two sides appear to be in a holding pattern, but it's not an even negotiation, writes The Athletic's Nicki Jhabvala. She says the Commanders are in the power position.
"The Commanders also know they have much more leverage than McLaurin in his contract dispute; he’ll be 30 in September, which means he’ll be 31 in the first season of an extension," Jhabvala writes. "It also means that holding out regular-season games could be career-ending. So, a deal will get done. There’s still time."
MORE: Lamar Jackson wants Ravens to be an unkindness
That's certainly the first time that "career-ending" has been thrown around in regards to these McLaurin negotiations.
There is definitely a point when an NFL player ages past the point of being worth dealing with contract drama, although McLaurin doesn't seem to be at that point yet.
There are also tricky contract rules surrounding the idea of a player holding out an entire season, where the contract essentially would carry over rather than ending since the player never appeared in a single game under that year of the deal.
McLaurin is a long way from that complexity yet, but it's a fascinating situation. Based on Jhabvala's reporting here, it seems the Commanders view McLaurin's age as more of a concern than he would want it to be.
MORE: Buccaneers' coach reveals chances of Shilo Sanders making Tampa Bay NFL roster
In comparing himself to Metcalf and that new contract in Pittsburgh, McLaurin is two years older. That almost certainly has to matter in negotiations in some form.
As Jhabvala wrote above, this deal still has a good shot at getting done in Washington. The season is a month away.
But there are lots of different tendrils in play here, and there could still be twists in this tale.
MORE NFL NEWS:
Category: Football
