When the Washington Commanders reported to training camp on Tuesday, one of their top players didn’t join them. Terry McLaurin wasn’t in attendance for the first day of Commanders’ training camp as he’s in the midst of a contract dispute, ESPN reported.
The star wide receiver has been outspoken about wanting a new deal this offseason. Entering the final year of his contract, McLaurin told reporters last week that it was “disappointing and frustrating” that he and the team haven’t had substantive extension talks to this point.
McLaurin, who earned his second Pro Bowl nod last season, hasn’t decided if he’ll ask for a trade yet, but he’s most interested in “trying to bring a deal together, not breaking the team apart,” a source close to the receiver told FOX Sports’ Henry McKenna. However, “everything will be on the table,” that source iterated to McKenna.
The Commanders held their conditioning tests on Tuesday and will hit the practice field for the first time in training camp on Wednesday. While McLaurin didn’t report to camp on Tuesday, he could theoretically show up on Wednesday, but not practice to avoid getting fined.
Word of McLaurin not showing up with the rest of the veterans came hours after general manager Adam Peters said he expected everyone to be in attendance. McLaurin, who turns 30 in September, expressed frustration last week about the lack of progress in negotiations.
Peters and coach Dan Quinn had attempted to strike a more positive tone on Tuesday at their pre-camp news conference.
“In terms of where we’re at, we’ve had conversations recently and we will look to have some more conversations,” Peters said, “and we’re going to do everything we can in order to get a deal done.”
McLaurin, who skipped mandatory minicamp and some voluntary workouts this spring, signed a three-year, $68.2 million extension in 2022 with the Commanders’ previous regime. He is going into the final season of that contract.
The recent surge in receiver spending, including D.K. Metcalf’s five-year, $150 million deal following an offseason trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers, dropped McLaurin’s annual average salary of $23.2 million to 17th among active players at the position.
Washington’s top receiver since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2019, McLaurin earned second-team All-Pro recognition last season, with a career-high 13 touchdown receptions and a fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season. He added an additional three touchdowns and 227 yards on 14 catches in three playoff games.
“I don’t know what happens next,” McLaurin said last week. “But without any progressive discussions, it’s kind of hard to see how I step on the field.”
McLaurin said the two sides had not spoken over the previous month. In that regard, Peters hinted at some form of progress on Tuesday, though. Whether that means momentum toward a multiyear extension in the range of $30 million annually is unclear.
Beyond production, McLaurin was Washington’s rare shining light during the franchise’s dark times under former owner Dan Snyder. The arrival last year of quarterback Jayden Daniels, along with Peters and Quinn, helped turn the Commanders into a contender.
Daniels’ top target had a hand — two actually — in Washington’s stunning 12-5 regular-season record and the franchise’s first conference title game appearance since 1991.
The GM’s job involves weighing short-term and long-term ramifications of any financial deal. There’s minimal debate over McLaurin’s importance to the team.
“Without a doubt, I think everybody in this building values Terry very much,” Peters said, maintaining a hopeful demeanor. “We knew that coming in, and we knew that even more after spending a year with him.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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