Zach Ertz makes his feelings known on Terry McLaurin's holdout amid $30,000,000+ contract demand

When the Washington Commanders start their 2025 training camp, Terry McLaurin is not a certainty to be present. The star wide receiver is unhappy with his contract situation, with one year left on his deal, and is bracing for a new deal before September comes.

The discussion has turned public between the player and the franchise. After shooting a commercial on Tuesday, the receiver spoke to reporters, and per ESPN, he did not mince words in criticizing how the negotiations have been conducted.

"Without any progress in discussions, it's kind of hard to see how I step on the field," McLaurin said (per ESPN). "I want to be here. I want to make that abundantly clear. [But] it takes two to tango. I don't want to feel like you have to beg for someone to see your worth and value.

A day later, Commanders TE Zach Ertz made a morning appearance on Kay Adams' show on FanDuel TV. He was asked by Adams about the situation, and Ertz avoided getting dragged into an opinion. He did, however, express his support for his teammate amid the negotiations:

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"As a player who has gone through public contract situations, I appreciated that my teammates weren't out there giving their opinions and everything like that. So I'm not going to come out here and say one thing. [...] I'm rooting for Terry. I hope he gets paid as much as he wants to get paid. But in terms of the business side of it, I'm gonna stay far away from that."

Terry McLaurin will be eyeing a contract worth upwards of $30 million per year after seeing two wide receivers -- the Pittsburgh Steelers' DK Metcalf and the New York Jets' Garrett Wilson -- get deals with an average of over $32 million per year this offseason.

How much is Terry McLaurin set to earn in the 2025 season?

Terry McLaurin is entering the final year of his three-year, $68.3 million deal. He will earn $15.5 million in base salary for the upcoming season, although his cap hit is considerably higher due to the signing bonus and contract restructures.

McLaurin is coming off a stellar 2024 campaign where he had 82 catches for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns.

Signing McLaurin to a new contract would be vital for the Commanders' expectations in 2025. The franchise struck gold in the 2024 draft by picking quarterback Jayden Daniels, and made a surprising NFC Championship Game appearance.

Edited by Brad Taningco