Source: Commanders’ McLaurin requests trade

ASHBURN, Va. — Washington Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin, frustrated with negotiations on a contract extension, has requested a trade, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday.

With the sides far apart, McLaurin held out of the first four days of training camp before reporting on Sunday. There has been no movement towards a new deal, one source said.

McLaurin became a hold-in and was placed on the physically unable to perform list with an apparent ankle injury that he suffered during the season, though he participated in spring workouts. By reporting McLaurin could no longer be fined $50,000 per day.

After practice each day he has appeared on the field and signed autographs from fans, many of whom have chanted his name. One young fan asked him Sunday if he’d been signed; McLaurin laughed and told him he was funny. McLaurin would sign autographs for nearly 30 minutes then return to the building.

Team sources have said multiple times that they are not going to trade McLaurin. It’s uncertain what interest he will draw from teams, knowing they’d have to surrender a package that would even tempt the Commanders and then pay him more than $30 million per year.

Washington general manager Adam Peters said on the day players reported to camp that, “You’d like to get these things done quicker, but it doesn’t always happen that way.

“Whatever happens along the way, just understand he’s a great player and we want to keep him here.”

McLaurin first expressed frustration and disappointment about the negotiations to reporters on July 15, saying he would not step back on the field until there was “progression” towards a deal. Peters said last week the sides have talked, but there has been no momentum.

A sticking point has been McLaurin’s age. He would be 31 when an extension begins, an age when teams are reluctant to pay big money for receivers.

Last year, two older receivers signed extensions. At age 30, Miami’s Tyreek Hill signed a three-year extension for $30 million per year with $52.535 million guaranteed – but he was coming off consecutive seasons in which he gained at least 1,700 yards. At age 31, Tampa’s Mike Evans signed for $41 million with $35 million guaranteed. Evans had caught 46 touchdown passes in the previous four seasons before the extension.

Earlier this week, Denver signed receiver Courtland Sutton, who turns 30 in October, to a four-year $92 million contract with $41 million guaranteed.

Several other notable wide receivers signed long-term deals this offseason, including the Bengals’ Tee Higgins (four years, $115 million with $40.9 million guaranteed), the Steelers’ DK Metcalf (four years, $132 million, $60 million guaranteed) and the Jets’ Garrett Wilson (four years, $130 million, $90 million guaranteed).

McLaurin is two years older than Metcalf but they were in the same 2019 draft class. Their stats are comparable. Metcalf has caught 438 career passes for 6,324 yards and 48 touchdowns. McLaurin has caught 460 passes for 6,379 yards and 38 touchdowns. But crossing that age 30 line has become a deterrent toward receiving a similar or even better deal.

McLaurin has a base salary of $15.5 million this season with a cap hit of $25.5 million. He’s coming off a career-best 13 touchdown season, with 12 of them thrown by quarterback Jayden Daniels. McLaurin has surpassed 1,000 yards for a franchise-record five seasons — with a high of 1,191 — and has been one of the team’s most popular players since he entered the league.

“You’re dealing with a really good player and really good person,” Peters said on July 22, “and you never lose sight of that and make sure every conversation you have is very straightforward and in good faith and keeping that mindset throughout … understanding our goal is to get a deal done.”

Multiple receivers have requested trades in recent years, including his current teammate Deebo Samuel – whose second request was granted by San Francisco this offseason. But the 49ers ignored his first one in 2022. Other receivers who have also requested trades in recent years include Cincinnati’s Higgins and the 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk. Both eventually signed extensions.