Terry McLaurin, Commanders Agree to 3-Year, $96M Contract After Hold-In

The Washington Commanders and wide receiver Terry McLaurin agreed to a three-year, $96 million contract extension Monday, agents Buddy Baker and Tony Bonagura told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported McLaurin will receive a $30 million signing bonus:

NFL insider Jordan Schultz first reported the news.

McLaurin previously signed a three-year, $68.2 million contract extension with the Commanders in 2022, keeping him with the team through 2025.

He's since out-performed that deal and made himself well-deserving of a new and lucrative one.

The former Ohio State star, a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft, has posted five straight 1,000-yard seasons. Last season, McLaurin caught 82 passes for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns en route to Pro Bowl honors and a spot on the All-Pro Second Team.

McLaurin formed a great rapport with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, and the two helped guide the Commanders to the No. 5 scoring offense in football. In addition, Washington went 12-5 and reached the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991.

So it's no surprise that the Commanders wanted to sign McLaurin to a new deal.

At the owners' meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, Washington general manager Adam Peters told reporters: "We want to make Terry a Commander for a long time." He also noted the team had preliminary talks regarding a new contract.

However, the two sides struggled to come to an agreement. On July 15, McLaurin talked with reporters about his frustration and disappointment in not getting a deal done, per ESPN's John Keim.

"With how the market is today it conveys what guys of my caliber are deserving of. I feel I fit in that box because of how I've carried myself on and off the field. I don't want to feel like you have to beg for someone to see your worth and value. Everything in previous regimes and now I've done everything asked of me."

McLaurin made clear, though, that he wanted to stay in town and didn't covet a trade.

When training camp began on July 22, McLaurin was not present.

McLaurin ended up reporting on Sunday, July 27. Unfortunately, McLaurin was placed on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list with an ankle injury.

"Coach Dan Quinn said McLaurin will work off to the side with trainers, and it's uncertain whether the veteran will participate in practice once he has recovered," Keim wrote.

However, McLaurin's return didn't necessarily mean that a deal was imminent. Rather, he avoided getting fined $50,000 per day.

The situation deteriorated even further on July 31, when McLaurin requested a trade, per both Schultz and Schefter.

Trade requests (specifically at McLaurin's position) haven't necessarily led to deals happening, as Schefter noted.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk notably landed long-term deals. Deebo Samuel signed a three-year extension in 2022 after his trade request, although he ended up getting traded three years later to the Commanders.

McLaurin and the Commanders still weren't able to come up with an agreement through the first half of August, but thankfully, Washington activated him off the PUP list on Aug. 16.

Ultimately, as is the case for many contract negotiations for high-profile players, the road to the finish line was rocky. A deal has finally come to fruition, though, as the team captain remains in town and figures to be a vital piece of this team's future.