While Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin spent the offseason trying to get more money, his teammates continued to work on their craft.
They worked on timing. They worked on route trees. They worked on winning games. They worked on chemistry.
And they did it all without McLaurin.
Now, we’re seeing the results — or lack thereof — from McLaurin’s extended “hold in” before he signed a massive 3-year, $97 million contract extension on August 25.
The 2024 NFL All-Pro has been a non-factor through Washington’s first 2 games, with just 7 receptions for 75 yards — putting him on track for less than 700 receiving yards after 5 consecutive seasons with over 1,000 yards.
ESPN’s John Keim thinks reading too much into McLaurin’s struggles might be a mistake, although the offense definitely looked like it was missing something in a 27-18, Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
“The slow start was somewhat expected given that he missed all of training camp (in addition to OTA and minicamp practices) while holding out/in,” Keim wrote on September 17. He’s receiving a similar number of targets as he did last year (6.88 in 2024; 6.5 in 2025) and he was getting open vs. Green Bay — but the Packers‘ pass rush often negated chances. McLaurin is still getting open — when he runs a route after lining up wide left (his usual spot), he’s averaging 2.53 yards of separation compared with 2.63 last year. It’s a matter of time for McLaurin.”
A Thread
#1 Terry Mclaurin 86 yard TouchdownMcLaurin’s Advanced Age Might Be Factor
One factor that needs to be considered in McLaurin’s slow start is his age, which was also a major factor in his stalled contract talks.
ESPN’s John Keim reported the franchise’s analytics department believed the 30-year-old was too old to receive another big payday. You know what’s harder to do as you get older? Spring back into game shape from long periods of inactivity.
“This likely remains the biggest sticking point because it frames the argument for Washington,” Keim wrote on August 13. “McLaurin will turn 30 on Sept. 15, which means he’d be 31 when an extension begins. The Commanders rely heavily on analytics, and the numbers aren’t kind to receivers at that age. According to ESPN Research, over the past five seasons only three receivers 31 years or older have played at least 10 games and averaged 70-plus receiving yards per game; six have averaged 60-plus.”
Daniels Struggles To Find Consistent Targets
Daniels has 3 touchdown passes in his first 2 games, with all of them going to veterans in wide receiver Deebo Samuel (2) and tight end Zach Ertz (1), who are also the team’s leaders in receiving yards.
It’s not hard to see something missing in Daniels’ game. He and McLaurin an instant, electric connection in 2024 but an offseason spent apart essentially stalled their growth. That’s on McLaurin.
Still, some were preaching patience. Some were not.
“Just a friendly reminder that Terry McLaurin was the WR65 through Week 2 last year,” Fantasy Football Expert Bryce DeGroat wrote on his official X account on September 18. “And he still finished as the WR7 overall. It’s very early in the season. Don’t get too high or too low on anyone just yet.”
• 7 receptions • 13 targets • 75 receiving yds
The most overrated WR in the NFL…
Commanders $97 Million All-Pro Called ‘Most Overrated WR in NFL’