{"id":118468,"date":"2025-08-04T15:16:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T15:16:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/118468\/"},"modified":"2025-08-04T15:16:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T15:16:13","slug":"terry-mclaurin-trade-proposals-analyzing-5-potential-offers-for-the-commanders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/118468\/","title":{"rendered":"Terry McLaurin trade proposals: Analyzing 5 potential offers for the Commanders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Washington Commanders star receiver Terry McLaurin requested a trade last week<\/a>, as months-long negotiations for his new contract remain incomplete.<\/p>\n

McLaurin, who will turn 30 in September, is coming off his best campaign in 2024, where he played with NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels. The approaching 2025 season is the final year of the three-year deal McLaurin signed in 2022, which was worth $22.79 million annually and made him one of the top five-paid receivers in the league at the time. With receiver salaries skyrocketing since (McLaurin\u2019s deal now ranks 18th at the position), he is seeking a new deal on par with the makings of the top receivers in the game.<\/p>\n

McLaurin skipped minicamp in June and the start of training camp in July. He ended his training camp holdout and reported to the team on July 27<\/a>, but was placed on the physically unable to perform list with an ankle injury.<\/p>\n

The Commanders selected McLaurin in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he has been a face of the franchise through losing seasons, league- and federal-led investigations into the team and its previous owners, name changes and a turnstile of quarterbacks since. He has led the team in receiving yards each year since his rookie season.<\/p>\n

All indications to this point have been that the Commanders are not interested in trading McLaurin, but The Athletic\u2019s beat writers offered a few proposals that could be coming Washington\u2019s way from around the league.<\/p>\n

New England Patriots<\/p>\n

Patriots trade 2027 third-round pick for McLaurin<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Patriots are an obvious option when any player is on the trade block, considering the roster needs improving and they have the most cap space in the NFL. That said, a trade for McLaurin seems a bit unlikely for them. If this were before the draft, they probably would\u2019ve been quite interested. But with Stefon Diggs now in the fold, if you add McLaurin, you risk boxing out third-round pick Kyle Williams, limiting his playing time and development. Additionally, a move for McLaurin, who turns 30 soon, might make more sense for a team with an open championship window. The Patriots are still rebuilding and might have better use for their ample cap space next offseason rather than chasing a 30-year-old receiver when they\u2019re still a few years from seriously competing. \u2014 Chad Graff<\/p>\n

San Francisco 49ers<\/b><\/p>\n

49ers trade WR Brandon Aiyuk for McLaurin<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not so far-fetched considering this scenario was discussed a year ago when Aiyuk was the subject of a high-profile hold-in<\/a>. Aiyuk had the Commanders at the top of possible trade destinations because of his relationship with, and admiration for, Jayden Daniels. The 49ers probably would have acquiesced to his request if McLaurin was part of a trade package, but the Commanders didn\u2019t want to part with the receiver. A year later, would they reconsider? Now it\u2019s McLaurin who\u2019s causing a stir and whose feelings are hurt. While Aiyuk is coming off an Oct. 20 ACL tear and isn\u2019t expected to be ready at the start of the season, he\u2019s also two and a half years younger than McLaurin and has relationships throughout Commanders headquarters. He\u2019s friends with the quarterback, he\u2019s close to Deebo Samuel and he was drafted by GM Adam Peters, who was the 49ers\u2019 top college scout at the time. Lengthy contract battles leave bridges burning. Wouldn\u2019t both players be happier where there\u2019s no smoke? \u2014 Matt Barrows<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Brandon Aiyuk has a lot of ties to the Commanders, including a previously expressed desire to reunite with his former Arizona State teammate Jayden Daniels. (Steven Bisig \/ Imagn Images)Los Angeles Chargers<\/p>\n

Chargers trade 2026 fourth-round pick for McLaurin<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Chargers are still figuring out who is going to play on the outside alongside star slot Ladd McConkey in three-receiver packages. They have Quentin Johnston and two ascending rookies in Tre\u2019 Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith, but that group is unproven. The Chargers signed Mike Williams as a veteran option in March. Williams, though, retired before training camp<\/a>. McLaurin would check a number of boxes for the Chargers offense. He played more than 83 percent of his snaps on the outside for Washington in 2024. He was elite in contested-catch situations, a skill the Chargers are seeking. The Chargers have the cap space to take on McLaurin\u2019s salary for this season. They are also projected to have the second-most cap space in the league in 2026, according to Over the Cap. Their top five receivers \u2014 McConkey, Johnston, Harris, Lambert-Smith and Derius Davis \u2014 are all on rookie deals. They could afford a more expensive veteran contract in this room from a cap perspective. The Chargers would have to do a deal with McLaurin after trading for him. Would he be open to something more short-term? A two-year extension at $30 million in AAV could make sense for both sides. \u2014 Daniel Popper<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Steelers<\/p>\n

Steelers trade 2026 third-round pick and WR Roman Wilson for McLaurin<\/strong><\/p>\n

If the Steelers want to give Aaron Rodgers the best chance to make a run in what could be his final season, the biggest bet they could make would be a dynamic receiving threat behind DK Metcalf. For more than a year, there have been questions surrounding the WR2 position. Right now, the team seems interested in seeing how two receivers on rookie contracts \u2014 Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson \u2014 fill that role. McLaurin would be an instant and massive upgrade, signaling the Steelers really are \u201call in\u201d for Rodgers. The veteran WR also could help at the beginning of a rookie QB window on a short, two-year extension worth $30 million per year. At the same time, a move of this magnitude would also require some salary-cap gymnastics. Currently, the Steelers have an estimated $17.5 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap, but they like to keep at least $10 million for in-season moves in case of injury. There are ways to make the money work (signing bonuses, restructuring other contracts) and you never know how aggressive GM Omar Khan might be. \u2014 Mike DeFabo<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Curtis Samuel caught 31 passes for 253 yards in 14 games (two starts) last season with Buffalo. (Gregory Fisher \/ Imagn Images)Buffalo Bills<\/p>\n

Bills trade WR Curtis Samuel and 2026 fifth-round pick for McLaurin<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Bills could certainly use a legitimate No. 1 receiver, but as of right now, only if the right situation arises. McLaurin is a perfect fit for Josh Allen, though McLaurin\u2019s need for a new deal with a cap-strapped team casts some doubt on the pairing. If the Bills could move Samuel\u2019s $6.9 million in guaranteed base salary, along with a Day 3 pick for someone like McLaurin, I could see them talking themselves into it. Samuel, at least, could give the Commanders a player they could start in the interim.<\/p>\n

Considering McLaurin\u2019s age and that the Bills would need to give him a new contract, that creates some leverage. The Bills could conceivably make room for a new deal on their cap with the excavated Samuel cap hit in 2025, using some previously untapped contract restructures, along with backloading McLaurin\u2019s new deal since they can structure it however they want. However, the presence of Keon Coleman and Joshua Palmer, and wanting to see what they have in them for a year, may discourage the Bills from even getting involved.<\/p>\n

None of these offers will sway the Commanders. They\u2019d probably get a third-round compensatory pick if they let McLaurin walk as a free agent in March, so they\u2019d want more than the Patriots\u2019 offer.<\/p>\n

Acquiring Aiyuk from San Francisco carries some intrigue, especially because he\u2019s Daniels\u2019 close friend and former teammate, and he has close ties to Peters and Samuel. Not to mention, Aiyuk is only 27. But he\u2019s coming off a major knee injury, and has carried the workload of a No. 1 receiver for only two seasons.<\/p>\n

The Chargers\u2019 offer \u2014 nope.<\/p>\n

The Steelers \u2014 if the Commanders believed they were still a year or two out from contending, maybe this would be interesting. But then again, they already have a young, speedy slot receiver in fourth-round rookie Jaylin Lane.<\/p>\n

And the Bills? Washington knows better than most teams what Curtis Samuel can do when healthy, but it also knows his injury history and that he\u2019s never started a full season in his career.<\/p>\n

So, the Commanders will keep McLaurin. They can\u2019t take away their star quarterback\u2019s go-to receiver in a year when they\u2019ve clearly gone all in to try to compete with the Eagles. They don\u2019t have much depth at receiver; Deebo Samuel isn\u2019t a true No. 2 in workload, let alone a No. 1, and the only other proven receiver on the roster is Noah Brown, who is quite good but has a lengthy injury history.<\/p>\n

The Commanders also know they have much more leverage than McLaurin in his contract dispute; he\u2019ll be 30 in September, which means he\u2019ll be 31 in the first season of an extension. It also means that holding out regular-season games could be career-ending. So, a deal will get done. There\u2019s still time. \u2014 Nicki Jhabvala<\/p>\n

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