Commanders Reportedly Sign WR Braylon Sanders After Terry McLaurin Trade Request

Ahead of their first preseason game against the New England Patriots next week, the Washington Commanders reportedly made an addition to their wide receiver room on Friday.

According to Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan, the Commanders reached an agreement to sign free-agent wideout Braylon Sanders.

News of the signing comes one day after ESPN's Adam Schefter (h/t ESPN's John Keim) reported that Commanders No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin requested a trade amid a stalemate in contract extension talks.

Per Keim, there has been "no movement" toward a deal between McLaurin and the Commanders since he reported to training camp after skipping the first four days.

McLaurin is currently classified as a "hold-in," and he is on the physically unable to perform list with an ankle injury.

Sanders, 26, played collegiately at Ole Miss from 2017 to 2021. Over his five seasons at the school, Sanders recorded 69 receptions for 1,453 yards and 10 touchdowns in 47 games.

After not being selected in the 2022 NFL draft, Sanders signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent.

He spent much of his rookie season on the practice squad, but he ended up appearing in three games, recording two catches for 17 yards.

Sanders then spent 2023 on Miami's practice squad and was part of the New England Patriots' practice squad last season.

Earlier this year, Sanders signed with the UFL's DC Defenders, and he went on to have a productive 2025 season, registering 13 receptions for 332 yards and three touchdowns in seven games.

Sanders averaged 25.5 yards per catch and played a key role on a Defenders team that won the UFL championship.

In Washington, Sanders joins a Commanders team that boasts quite a bit of wide receiver depth.

Along with McLaurin, the Washington receiving corps includes Deebo Samuel, Noah Brown, Michael Gallup, Luke McCaffrey, K.J. Osborn and rookie fourth-round pick Jaylin Lane, among others.

Even if the Commanders end up trading McLaurin, Sanders faces an uphill climb when it comes to making Washington's roster.

However, given Sanders' dynamism and big-play ability, it is possible for him to quickly build a rapport with exciting quarterback Jayden Daniels, who was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year last season.