The Washington Commanders desperately need Terry McLaurin on the field when they open at home against the New York Giants in a few weeks.
In many ways, while Jayden Daniels is the focal point for defenses, Washington’s offense runs through McLaurin.
He’s the only dynamic threat outside of Daniels that opposing defensive coordinators have to account for on a weekly basis and his ability to take the top off a defense and catch a home run ball make him even more dangerous.
With the standoff between McLaurin and the Commanders still in full force, NFL insider Charles Davis gave some interesting insight into the negotiation earlier this week.
Davis joined a podcast and gave a surprising report about the initial asking offer from McLaurin and his agent.
“And I think, I think what happened, the way I understand it is, you know, when negotiations first opened, I think the Commanders were a little stunned by initially what Terry McLaurin and his camp were really gunning for,” Davis said.
Davis then alluded that the request from McLaurin’s camp was so egregious it almost completely broke down talks between the two sides.
“So I think everyone's being careful about not saying what the initial number was, but I will say it was high enough that it almost completely broke down conversation instantaneously between the two parties,,” Davis added.
That’s a strong statement. Most fans and casual followers of this saga assumed McLaurin wanted around $33 million per year, which is what DK Metcalf is getting in Pittsburgh. Metcalf comes from the same draft class as McLaurin — and while he’s only 27 — the two receivers have produced at similar levels during their NFL careers.
It’s hard to see McLaurin really asking for $35 million or more which would put him in the stratosphere of CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson.
Either way, as each day passes, the Commanders need to find a way to get McLaurin on to the field and reach an agreement.
On Friday, OC Kliff Kingsbury met with the media and had a shocking answer when asked about his communication with McLaurin throughout this process.
"There hasn't been a ton of contact," offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said Friday, per Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. "He's been here, but he's been working with trainers."
Kingsbury also made a point to touch on the urgency with Week 1 coming so soon. "We're kind of at that point where we need to start getting those guys when they're available out there and gelling and see what we are.”