Through 11 starting quarterbacks, three full-time head coaches, three franchise names and a change of ownership, Terry McLaurin has managed to shine despite the obstacles.
Following the Washington Commanders' renaissance of a 2024 season, McLaurin has earned -- and received -- his third career contract.
McLaurin and the Commanders have agreed to terms on a three-year extension worth up to $96 million, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported Monday.
Pelissero adds that McLaurin's extension includes a $30 million signing bonus.
The agreement ends a long and tumultuous impasse for McLaurin and the club that saw him report to late to training camp late on July 27, subsequently get placed on the physically unable to perform list and several days later request a trade after talks had stalled. Washington removed him from the PUP list on Aug. 16, though he did not begin practicing.
Prior to those training camp tensions, McLaurin, 29, made his disappointment known over the offseason. He said on July 15 that he was "pretty frustrated" over contract talks, which at that point had been on pause for over a month. His uncertainty followed the trend of staying away from Washington's organized team activities and not reporting to mandatory minicamp.
With a deal now struck, McLaurin can start to move past all that and return to the field 13 days before the start of Washington's regular season.
McLaurin was entering the final season of a three-year, $69.6 million contract -- which he coincidentally also signed after skipping mandatory minicamp in 2022 -- with his $23.2 million annual average 17th at his position.
Buoyed by AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels' arrival in 2024, "Scary Terry" and the Commanders went 12-5 for the franchise's first winning season since 2016 and advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991.
McLaurin earned his second Pro Bowl selection last season, posting a career-high and franchise-record 13 touchdown catches, along with 82 receptions and 1,096 yards.
