Terry McLaurin stands his ground and makes strong statement as Commanders veterans report for training camp
The biggest storyline of the offseason for the Washington Commanders continues as All-Pro WR Terry McLaurin answers the question everyone was waiting for an answer on: Would the two-time Pro Bowler attend training camp.Well, in the vacuum of Day 1, the answer is no. McLaurin did not report with fellow veterans, marking him as a […]
The biggest storyline of the offseason for the Washington Commanders continues as All-Pro WR Terry McLaurin answers the question everyone was waiting for an answer on: Would the two-time Pro Bowler attend training camp.
Well, in the vacuum of Day 1, the answer is no. McLaurin did not report with fellow veterans, marking him as a holdout at the moment.
This goes against what general manager Adam Peters said earlier in the day when he told reporters he expected everyone to report to camp.
McLaurin stands his ground and makes a strong statement without saying anything
McLaurin's no-show shouldn't come as a surprise, as he himself said it would be hard to report with how contract negotiations were going. Basically, he said he wasn't going to practice without a new deal when he spoke with reporters last week.
It's not worth risking an injury or folding your hand after making a strong public stance like McLaurin did when he voiced his frustrations with Washington.
If you believe you're worth more than what you're being told, then stand on that and let the team move forward without you. You made your move, now it's time for Washinton to respond.
What happens next?
Every action has a consequence and McLaurin will now face a $50,000 fine for every missed practice during training camp. The Commanders can't rescind his fines, either, so he's going to lose money. Without a doubt.
Washington fans shouldn't be concerned with the on-field time that McLaurin is missing because he's been training all off season by himself and, to an extent, with the team. He still participated in the early phases of the offseason and said things were going well as a team before he had to back away. Nobody thinks this hurts his production in any way.
Today was just a conditioning test, but will he still holdout when the pads come on and the team ramps up the practices? That's where we will really see how McLaurin feels and how strong his stance is. Washington's first preseason game is just over two weeks away, so the time is ticking.
The major storyline to watch now is if McLaurin takes this to the next level and requests a trade. It would be the most anti-McLaurin thing we've ever seen, but so was his public displeasure with the team last week. He wants to be on the field with his teammates, but he also wants what he deserves. The ball is in Washington's court.
NFL insider gives update on the Terry McLaurin contract situation, and it should both ease and worry Commanders fans
Washington still has a major hurdle to clear
