Dan Quinn says Terry McLaurin's trade request is ‘normal business' in NFL

New York Times

5 days ago

Commanders coach Dan Quinn insisted the trade request made by his team's star receiver, Terry McLaurin, is 'part of normal business' in the NFL and is not a distraction to the team.
'He let me know that that was happening too, so I appreciated that,' Quinn said ahead of the Commanders' training camp practice on Saturday, where McLaurin continues to 'hold-in,' attending practices but not participating. 'We love Terry. Really glad he's here. Hopefully he's out practicing soon. We also understand that there's a business side of this thing that (general manager Adam Peters) and his side and Terry and his reps are working through. … Somebody asked me if it's a distraction. It is not.'
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Quinn said NFL players are now 'more aware' of contract situations, for themselves and teammates, and that the rest of the team has maintained focus on camp and practice as McLaurin works through his situation. The 29-year-old wideout participated in the start of the Commanders' offseason workout program earlier this year, but skipped organized team activities and mandatory minicamp as he seeks a new deal with the team. He held out the first three practices of training camp before returning to facility in order to avoid the mandatory fines that were collectively bargained between players and the league. The team placed him on the active/physically unable to perform list with an ankle injury, limiting McLaurin to only strength and conditioning work and team meetings.
McLaurin has stayed inside the team's facility during their morning workouts, but has has signed autographs for fans at each of the last five practices. Quinn said the receiver observes the team's afternoon walkthrough from the sideline, sometimes standing alongside linebacker Bobby Wagner.
Asked if he's surprised the situation with McLaurin has reached this point — a face-of-the-franchise player beloved by fans asking to be traded because of a contract stalemate — Quinn said he tries to 'avoid judging.'
'I'm not surprised,' he added. 'I'm, honestly, I'm glad (McLaurin's) here and I do love coaching him. I try to avoid judging. … I recognize the players are trying to set themselves and their families up so I try to not put myself into that spot. It's too easy to say, 'Man, if I had that much, I'd do this or that.' So I don't go there. I try to support him as best as I can, but we don't discuss the finance part of things. That's the partnership with Adam and I — our strengths and how we work together. Many things we do together. This is not one of them.'
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McLaurin has one year remaining on his contract, which he signed in 2022 and pays him an average annual value of $22.79 million, ranking 18th among receivers. His approximate $53 million in total guarantees ranks 12th, according to Spotrac. McLaurin believes his pay is far below his value as a receiver and should be more in line with some of the top-paid players at his position; nine receivers currently make at least $30 million a year.
A week before the start of training camp, McLaurin expressed frustration over the lack of progress in his negotiations with the Commanders and said he wants to be 'valued' and 'appreciated.'
'I think how the market is today, I think it pretty much conveys what guys of my caliber are deserving of, and I feel like I fit in that box because of how I've always carried myself on and off the field and the value I know I bring to a team,' he said. '… I know I'm deserving of what I'm asking for, and I'm willing to stand firm on that, and we just got to see where it goes from here.'
The Commanders have said publicly they want to get a long-term deal done with McLaurin. But a sticking point, according to multiple people with knowledge of the negotations, is McLaurin's age. He will turn 30 on Sept. 15, which means he'll be 31 for most of the first year of a new deal.
For Quinn, he's hopeful McLaurin will be back on the field soon.
'Knowing there can be emotions, that's the human side,' Quinn said. 'For me as a coach, I give the support, give the insights. .. So that's the way you do it. But it is an emotional time. It's so damn important and each player won't be quite the same.'