Report: Terry McLaurin didn't report to camp amid Commanders contract dispute

Washington Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin did not report to training camp this week, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. McLaurin is in the midst of a contract dispute with the team as he enters the final year of his current deal.

McLaurin is reportedly seeking a contract that would make him one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL. For reference, the Cincinnati Bengals signed Ja’Marr Chase to a four-year, $161 million contract this offseason. The more than $40 million that Chase will make this season is the most of any receiver in the NFL.

The Commanders are coming off of a postseason run to the NFC Championship game, marking their first appearance since 1991. McLaurin was the team’s leading receiver with 82 catches for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns.

McLaurin has played the past six seasons with the Commanders after being selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. He has recorded at least 1,000 yards receiving in each of the past five seasons and made two Pro Bowls, including this past season.

According to his current contract, McLaurin will earn a base salary of $15.5 million this season along with bonuses of $3.3 million. Commanders general manager Adam Peters told media on Tuesday that the team is hopeful to work out a deal soon.

“Yeah, I mean, first, I think without a doubt, I think everybody in this building values Terry very much,” Peters said. “And we knew that coming in and we knew that even more after spending a year with him. In terms of where we’re at, we’ve had conversations recently and we’ll look to have more conversations. We’re going to do everything we can in order to get a deal done.”

Terry McLaurin has previously stated his desire to continue playing in Washington. However, he also expressed frustration with the lack of progress that has been made so far.

“I want to continue my career here, I’ve created my life here, so I want to be here. Just to see how things have played out has been disappointing,” the receiver said. “…I’m trying to take things day by day. I thought things would be more progressive than they have, and I know those discussions were there at the beginning, but since OTAs, we haven’t had any discussions. At this point, it’s up in the air.

“We haven’t talked in a month, and it’s becoming crunch time. You want to be in a position to be building towards what we did last year on the field, so this is definitely disappointing. I don’t know what happens next.”