A new ranking of receivers won’t do Terry McLaurin any favors as he engages in a standoff with the Washington Commanders.
As ESPN polled a group of anonymous NFL executives, scouts, and coaches to find the NFL‘s top 10 wide receivers, McLaurin didn’t get ranked within. His lack of presence within the top 10 comes less than 24 hours after he made it clear the Commanders haven’t been discussing terms on a renewed contract with him.
While McLaurin’s official rank wasn’t revealed, he was the first honorable mention, which is a sign that he’s hovering right around the top 10, along with Los Angeles Rams wideout Puka Nacua, Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers standout DK Metcalf, Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, and the new LA Rams pass catcher, Davante Adams.
For what it’s worth, an anonymous general manager considered McLaurin to be “criminally underrated,” while a personnel director told ESPN that he’s an “excellent route runner” with “very good hands and elite ball skills.” McLaurin is expected to be an excellent long-term weapon for Jayden Daniels in Washington, but his future is sort of blurry at the moment.
“I know I’m deserving of what I’m asking for and I’m willing to stand firm on that,” McLaurin told reporters on Tuesday afternoon, according to The Athletic.
“Just have to see where it goes from there. They feel how they feel and I feel how I feel. You hope you can come to some understanding and common ground. I’m not a combative person, but I am someone who’s going to stand on my worth and know what I bring to a team. It’s not because of, ‘Oh I feel that way,’ it’s because what I’ve proven year to year.”
Heading into the final season of his contract, McLaurin wants to be rewarded with a new long-term deal that pays him like a top wide receiver in the NFL. Since landing with the Commanders in 2019, McLaurin has been the picture of consistency.
Every year since his sophomore effort in 2020, McLaurin has racked up over 1,000 yards in the air. Throughout his 97-game stretch with the Commanders, McLaurin produced 38 touchdowns. Last year, he scored 13 touchdowns and produced 1,096 yards.
The last wide receiver to land a big extension was New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who ranks 10th on the list. According to reports, Wilson signed a four-year deal worth $130 million with the Jets. One has to assume that McLaurin will use that as another example when negotiations are revisited in the future. Wilson is wrapping up a 1,104-yard, seven-touchdown season with New York.
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