Terry McLaurin gets one step closer to playing football for the Commanders, but his future in Washington is still unclear
This is a step in a positive direction for McLaurin and the Commanders
The Washington Commanders and Terry McLaurin saga has taken a positive turn in the latest move for the All-Pro WR, but there’s still a lot left to happen.
McLaurin has been at practice lately, but not with the team, as he dealt with an ankle injury, which landed him on the PUP list. With the season right around the corner, it was time to get back with the team, and that’s exactly what McLaurin is getting ready for next.
McLaurin is back where he wanted to be all along
McLaurin is a team player, and he didn’t want to miss time with his guys on the field. He’s now officially gearing up to get back to practice where he wanted to be. The Commanders have activated McLaurin from the PUP list, and he is now available for the team.
This move comes one day after Commanders’ offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said that time was ticking and that it was time for McLaurin to get back with the team. That brutally honest statement may have just pushed McLaurin to come back with the season nearing.
This doesn’t mean that McLaurin will be back at practice immediately, but this does mean he is available to do so. I would honestly expect some sort of ramp-up period, especially with the preseason game coming on Monday night. This is still a massive move, and changes a lot for the situation, but there’s also still a lot of work behind the scenes to get done.
A new deal still remains in question
I want to clarify that this doesn’t mean a new extension is right around the corner now, and all reports are saying that there’s still a lot of work to be done for a new deal to happen. This does help the leverage and the viewpoint of this debacle.
McLaurin requested a trade and held out of practice, so his return is a big deal. There’s been a cloud over training camp with McLaurin absent, and this extension wouldn’t have been such a negative vibe in Ashburn if McLaurin had been practicing with the team the whole time.
McLaurin was doing what was best for him, though, and it’s understandable. But now, talks can continue without the offense and the rest of the team being affected by McLaurin’s absence, especially with the season approaching quickly. There’s no threat of McLaurin sitting out of games now.
A lot of these deals don’t happen until the end of August, or even the first week or so into the season, so that’s always been the timeline for me. The truth, though, is that progress still needs to be made when it comes to numbers, and the camps have been far apart according to reports.
Best best-case scenario is that a deal gets done before the season, while the worst-case scenario is that McLaurin plays out the final season of his contract if the two sides can’t get close enough, and this drags on longer.
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