Commanders' All-Pro picks a side in the Terry McLaurin contract fiasco and it could raise some eyebrows in the locker room
A whole new chapter has been added to the Terry McLaurin-Washington Commanders contract situation and it's easily the most action-packed part of the story.McLaurin put the Commanders on blast for how they've handled his contract negotiations when talking with reporters on Tuesday, citing "frustration and disappointment", along with the fact he hasn't heard from Adam […]
A whole new chapter has been added to the Terry McLaurin-Washington Commanders contract situation and it's easily the most action-packed part of the story.
McLaurin put the Commanders on blast for how they've handled his contract negotiations when talking with reporters on Tuesday, citing "frustration and disappointment", along with the fact he hasn't heard from Adam Peters and co. in over a month.
"Since OTAs and minicamp, we haven't had any discussions. We haven't talked at all and, you know, that's tough. . . There has to be some active discussions," said McLaurin.
"We haven't talked in over a month, and obviously, with camp around the corner, it's becoming a little bit of crunch time. Obviously you want to be in a position where you're building to what we did last year and Jayden [Daniels] and I continue to build [that] along with the offense. And that's the thing, before I took a step back, it was things were going great on the field, and, you know, the connection in the offense and the energy was just amazing.
"So to see where it was then and where it's at now is definitely disappointing. So I don't necessarily know what happens next, but without any progressive discussion, it's kind of hard to see how I step on the field."
All-Pro Jeremy Reaves backs Terry McLaurin and the Commanders' approach could raise some eyebrows in the locker room
Reaves, the Commanders' All-Pro special-teamer, took to X after everything broke to show support for his long-time teammate, which isn't a surprise, at all:
The Commanders need to be careful, here. Teammates are always going to support each other and while they also understand the NFL is a business, they're definitely taking notes on how Washington is treating its best and most important player not named Jayden Daniels.
McLaurin is so much more than just a great football player for the Commanders. He's a pillar in the community and one of best leaders in the entire NFL. The two-time Pro Bowler is a consummate professional that would make any of the other 31 locker rooms better.
To avoid even reaching out for a welfare check, for over a month, with a guy like McLaurin is malpractice and the Commanders' top veterans are likely to remember how this all went down when it's their turn to step up to the contractual plate and it could have negative ramifications.
No one is saying the Commanders are making a mistake when it comes to paying McLaurin, but this approach is certainly full of holes. Simple updates and just staying in touch at the bare minimum is Negotiation 101. I mean, we heard Trey Hendrickson's frustration when he said the Bengals hadn't contacted him in a long time. Players clearly don't like that and it has an effect on the overall goal for both parties.
"Hearing from my teammates and seeing how they feel – they're confused as well," said McLaurin
There's still time to correct course and we'll see if the Commanders are able to do so. McLaurin made it "abundantly clear" he wants to remain in Washington, so they have that working their favor.
But until this is resolved, they really need to ensure they're doing everything they can to try and temper things down a bit, because all of a sudden, it's a messy situation.
