Terry McLaurin's New Contract with Commanders Not 'Imminent,' WAS Wants to Keep WR

Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera said a new deal for Terry McLaurin is not "imminent," but the team hopes to sign both the receiver and defensive tackle Daron Payne to new contracts, per Ben Standig of The Athletic. 

"We have a tremendous amount of interest in making sure these guys are with us going forward," Rivera said.

McLaurin is heading into the final year of his rookie contract after going in the third round of the 2018 draft. 

The 26-year-old has a $3.04 million cap hit for 2022, which ranks just 47th at his position, per Spotrac. 

There should be a significant jump in the next deal after averaging 1,030 receiving yards over his first three seasons in the NFL. His 222 career receptions ranks second among players in the 2019 class, trailing only Diontae Johnson while ahead of bigger names like DK Metcalf, A.J. Brown, Deebo Samuel and Marquise Brown.

McLaurin finished 2021 with 77 catches for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns.

The production is even more impressive considering the rotating door at quarterback for Washington over the past three years. Eight different quarterbacks have started games during this stretch, including last year's mix of Taylor Heinicke, Garrett Gilbert and Ryan Fitzpatrick.

With a projected $30.4 million worth of cap space, per Spotrac, the Commanders could secure a new deal for McLaurin while also upgrading at quarterback and other areas.