Report: Terry McLaurin to skip Washington Commanders mandatory minicamp

Terry McLaurin is making it known to the Washington Commanders that he wants to be paid like a top wide receiver.

Throughout the 2022 NFL offseason, wide receivers have been inked to gigantic contracts. Entering the final year of his rookie deal, reports are surfacing that the former Ohio State wide receiver is planning to skip Washington’s mandatory minicamp, as he remains unhappy with his pay-grade.

“Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post reports that Terry McLaurin traveled to Florida on Sunday to resume his workouts and that he is unlikely to attend Commanders minicamp,” wrote Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “The three-day minicamp opens on Tuesday and McLaurin, who has been working on his own throughout the offseason, would be subject to over $95,000 in fines if he misses the entire camp.”

Moreover, the Commanders selected McLaurin with the No. 76 overall pick in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Ever since, he has established himself as one of the NFL’s best wideouts.

As a rookie in 2019, McLaurin caught 58 passes for 919 yards and seven touchdowns. He then had 87 receptions for 1,118 yards and four touchdowns in 2020, and last season he caught 77 passes for 1,053 yards and five touchdowns. Having three consecutive years with 900 yards to begin your NFL career is impressive in itself, but doing so with Washington’s recent struggles at quarterback makes McLaurin’s feat that much better.

In the NFL offseason, star wide receivers Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill were traded due to contract disputes, and both signed massive deals following their respective trades. Adams signed a five-year, $142.5 million deal with the Raiders and Hill inked a four-year, $120 million pact with the Dolphins. The Eagles acquired A.J. Brown during the NFL Draft, signing him to a four-year, $100 million extension.

McLaurin, Brown, and Deebo Samuel were all seeking new deals entering the draft. The wide receiver market has really taken off this offseason, and McLaurin is looking to get paid as he feels he rightfully deserves.

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Continuing, Terry McLaurin established himself as a productive wideout at Ohio State. He first saw offensive action in 2016, bringing in 11 catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns. He then had 29 receptions for 436 yards and six scores in 2017. During the 2018 season, McLaurin caught 35 passes for 701 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 20 yards per reception.

McLaurin was a four-star recruit and the 36th-rated wide receiver in the 2014 recruiting cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Losing McLaurin would be a big blow for the Commanders, so they hope to lock him up. The two sides were reportedly discussing a new deal earlier in the offseason, although an agreement obviously hasn’t been reached yet. Washington also has 2022 first rounder Jahan Dotson in the receiver room, along with Curtis Samuel, Cam Sims, and Dyami Brown, among others.

On3’s Jonathon Wagner contributed to this article.