Terry McLaurin had been a full participant in the Washington Commanders voluntary offseason program, but that changed Wednesday when he was not present for the first time.

Yahoo

10-06-2025

The Washington Commanders have made it clear they are in win-now mode, hoping to capitalize on the years of contention available through Jayden Daniels' rookie contract. They have been aggressive this offseason to lock in pieces that will keep them among the top teams in the NFC.
A core that went to their first NFC Championship in decades has added Deebo Samuel, Laremy Tunsil and some enticing rookies to the lineup.
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Washington has done the job of adding the external talent to make their team stronger. Now, they must apply this aggression to the other stars in-house.
The Commanders and star receiver Terry McLaurin had started preliminary talks on a contract extension in March, per general manager Adam Peters. There has not been much to update on that front, until a major change on Wednesday.
McLaurin was reportedly not present at the team's offseason programs for the first time, per FOX Sports' Jordan Shultz. As of now, the exact reason of his absence is not known though the matter of his extension are likely in play here.
Phase 3 of the Commanders program gets started next week, so the details of the decision will not remain in the dark for long. If pertaining to his extension, it appears McLaurin, who enters the final year of his contract in 2025, is finally taking his stance to get things moving on the timeline.
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McLaurin has proven one of the league's most consistent receivers, continuing the strong output from the ugly years before Daniels' arrival. He has totaled over 1,000 yards in the last five seasons, including a 1,096-yard tally from 2024 that included 82 catches and 13 touchdowns.
His number in terms of his average salary will likely fall in the mid-to-high 30s. Ja'Marr Chase has the most expensive non-quarterback contract in the league currently at $40 million per year. Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb follow behind at $35 and $34 million respectively.
Given his production, that could be a close estimate for the Commanders' No. 1.
McLaurin has kept his head down and worked through some dark years for the Commanders. He remains central to their plans of having an elite offense around Daniels for years to come, so a deal is most likely on its way in the future.
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For now though, the uncertainty around that contract is beginning to swell.
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