Could McLaurin be on his way out of Washington?
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin has reportedly requested a trade, per Jordan Schultz.
McLaurin and the Commanders have been in a heated contract dispute this summer, with Washington so far refusing to come up to McLaurin’s number. The sticking point is McLaurin’s age, per a report from Dianna Russini of The Athletic, as the receiver will turn 30 on September 15th.
The news doesn’t directly impact the New York Giants, other than perhaps some schadenfreude.
That said, the Giants are set to play the Commanders in week 1, just 38 days away as of this writing, and as we’re well-aware, the Commanders finished second in the NFC last year. Terry McLaurin has been one of the best and most consistent receivers in the NFL since being drafted in 2019.
He’s finished with at least 77 receptions in each of the last five years, and has topped 1,000 yards in each of those years as well. Over that period, Alex Smith was the only consistently competent fielded by Washington before landing Jayden Daniels.
Otherwise, McLaurin had the likes of Case Keenum, Dwayne Haskins (R.I.P.), Kyle Allen, Taylor Heinicke, Carson Wentz, and Sam Howell throwing him the ball.
Washington is hoping that Daniels is able to build on his incandescent 2024 season and avoid a sophomore slump. Doing so would be significantly easier with McLaurin than without, particularly considering the rest of their receiver depth is lackluster.
It’s widely assumed that the Giants can’t afford to get off to a slow start this year. Their schedule at least looks formidable on paper, and there don’t look to be many likely wins.
The feeling here is that the Giants should want to beat opponents at their best. However, the practical reality is that a 2-0 start is far more likely if McLaurin is elsewhere. At the same time the Dallas Cowboys have their own contract woes with Micah Parsons and OL Tyler Guyton suffered a fractured bone and his status for Week 2 could be in question.
McLaurin’s trade request is likely calculated to put pressure on the franchise for a new deal. But it’s better for the Giants if Scary Terry is elsewhere.
