Commanders have $3 million way to avoid Terry McLaurin trade

The Washington Commanders are not in an enviable position.

On the one hand, they need Terry McLaurin. Their top wide receiver is second-year QB Jayden Daniels' favorite target. Can they afford to let that get away just as Daniels ascends into the upper echelon of the NFL?

On the other hand, the Commanders know McLaurin is 30 years old. They know that if they shell out the money McLaurin wants ($132 million or so, like DK Metcalf), he very well may not pay it off, and it'll be more of an overpay based on past production.

So what is a team to do?

ESPN's Bill Barnwell has offered one solution that kicks the can down the road.

Barnwell writes that the Commanders should restructure McLaurin's existing deal to add $3 million to his $15.5 million base salary for 2025 and guarantee that $18.5 million for this season to table the rest of the discussion until after this campaign is over.

"Between the four scenarios I laid out, this is the most likely one," Barnwell writes. "If there really is a significant divide between the two sides on a contract extension, the easiest way for McLaurin to save face and the organization to seem like it is rewarding one of its longest-tenured players and a fan favorite is to throw a little extra money his way. If this happens, the organization will say that it is guaranteeing him $18.5 million, even though he was already going to have $15.5 million of that figure guaranteed when he was on the roster for Week 1, which means it's really just $3 million in new money."

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McLaurin has been a star since he joined Washington out of Ohio State.

Before getting Daniels, his "best" QBs had been guys like Taylor Heinicke, Sam Howell, Dwayne Haskins and Case Keenum.

Even with that being the case, McLaurin has put up consistently excellent numbers. He's truly one of the best wideouts in football.

The Commanders traded for Deebo Samuel this offseason to pair with McLaurin, not replace him.

At this point, Washington needs to seek out a way for this situation to not implode. Daniels and the rest of the franchise need McLaurin around.

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