ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Terry McLaurin did not report to Washington Commanders training camp Tuesday as the team’s top receiver seeks a new contract, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced McLaurin’s status.
Word of McLaurin not showing up with the rest of the veterans on the eve of the first practice of camp came hours after general manager Adam Peters said he expected everyone to be in attendance. McLaurin, who turns 30 in September, expressed frustration last week about the lack of progress in negotiations.
Peters and coach Dan Quinn had attempted to strike a more positive tone Tuesday at their pre-camp news conference.
“In terms of where we’re at, we’ve had conversations recently and we will look to have some more conversations,” Peters said, “and we’re going to do everything we can in order to get a deal done.”
McLaurin, who skipped mandatory minicamp and some voluntary workouts this spring, signed a three-year, $68.2 million extension in 2022 with the Commanders' previous regime. He is going into the final season of that contract.
The recent surge in receiver spending, including D.K. Metcalf's five-year, $150 million deal following an offseason trade to Pittsburgh, dropped McLaurin's annual average salary of $23.2 million to 17th among active players at the position.
Washington’s top receiver since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2019, McLaurin earned second-team All-Pro recognition last season, with a career-high 13 touchdown receptions and a fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season. He added an additional three touchdowns and 227 yards on 14 catches in three playoff games.
“I don’t know what happens next,” McLaurin said last week. “But without any progressive discussions, it’s kind of hard to see how I step on the field.”
McLaurin said the two sides had not spoken over the previous month. In that regard, Peters hinted at some form of progress.
Whether that means momentum toward a multiyear extension in the range of $30 million annually is unclear.
“I’ve been pretty frustrated — I’m not gonna lie,” McLaurin said during a 30-minute discussion with reporters last week in Laurel, Maryland, after filming a commercial.
"At the same time, I want to put myself in a position where I’m valued and I feel appreciated and things like that,” McLaurin said. “Unfortunately, that hasn’t transpired the way I wanted it to.”
Beyond production, McLaurin was Washington's rare shining light during the franchise's dark times under former owner Dan Snyder. The arrival last year of quarterback Jayden Daniels, along with Peters and Quinn, helped turn the Commanders into a contender.
Daniels’ top target had a hand — two actually — in Washington’s stunning 12-5 regular-season record and the franchise’s first conference title game appearance since 1991.
The GM's job involves weighing short-term and long-term ramifications of any financial deal. There’s minimal debate over McLaurin’s importance to the team.
“Without a doubt, I think everybody in this building values Terry very much,” Peters said, maintaining a hopeful demeanor. “We knew that coming in, and we knew that even more after spending a year with him.”
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AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno in New York contributed to this report.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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