The Washington Commanders have been dealing with a situation involving Terry McLaurin and his contract all offseason long, but things officially reached a new level when the star wide receiver requested a trade earlier this week. With McLaurin’s status up in the air, that has put the Commanders in a tough spot, and that includes his new star wide receiver teammate, Deebo Samuel.
Over the offseason, Washington acquired Samuel in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers in order to give McLaurin a talented partner-in-crime to work alongside in the passing game. Instead, they have yet to build any chemistry, because McLaurin isn’t practicing as he angles for a new deal. In the wake of McLaurin’s trade request, Samuel decided to weigh in on the situation.
Deebo Samuel Hoping Terry McLaurin, Commanders Hash Out Contract Issues
After getting traded to the Commanders, Samuel agreed to a reworked one-year, $17.5 million deal that could potentially allow him to hit the open market next offseason. McLaurin, meanwhile, has made it clear he wants a new contract this offseason, but his desire to be paid over $30 million per year has given Washington’s front office pause.
While McLaurin reported to training camp earlier this week, he’s holding in, meaning he won’t take the field until he has a new deal in place. That has resulted in Samuel having to shoulder a bigger burden, as he’s working on getting on the same page with quarterback Jayden Daniels without McLaurin being part of the mix.
Samuel understands that the business side of football can make things difficult sometimes, so in that regard, he knows where McLaurin is coming from. However, he wants McLaurin to stay in town and get back on the field, because that will help the Commanders unlock the best version of their offense in 2025.
“At the end of the day, I’ve been through it, so I know the stressful toll of it, I know where it takes your mind, it’s just so much to deal with in a span of time,” Samuel said, per Mike Garafolo. “I would love to see Terry out here. I would love to go out there and play with him.”
Commanders Running Out of Time to Extend Terry McLaurin
GettyTerry McLaurin of the Washington Commanders.
It’s crunch time for the Commanders when it comes to McLaurin. They are either going to have to pay him what he wants or honor his request and send him to a team that will pay him. It’s certainly not an ideal situation, but with the calendar flipping to August, Washington doesn’t exactly have time on their side when it comes to finding a solution here.
Samuel, for one, would like to see McLaurin stick around, as he would obviously help the team in their quest to win as many games as possible next season. The business side of the league has reared its ugly head for the Commanders, and the longer this stalemate goes on, the bigger an impact it will have on the team in 2025.
Deebo Samuel Breaks Silence on Terry McLaurin’s Trade Request