Outside of breakout star Ladd McConkey, the Chargers receiving corps would best be described as underwhelming. But, according to Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay, the Chargers have emerged as a “dark-horse landing spot” for 29-year-old star Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin.
McLaurin Has Excelled in Washington, Despite Years of Shaky QB Play
Last month, news broke about McLaurin being “frustrated with the lack of progress” on a new contract. There’s reportedly still “quite a gap” between what the two sides are looking for.
McLaurin enjoyed a solid rookie season in 2019, despite playing with 3 different quarterbacks and a coaching change after Week 5. The third-rounder emerged as a promising offensive piece, hauling in 58 catches for 919 yards and 7 touchdowns.
The Chargers have only had one opportunity to see McLaurin up-close. During his only career matchup against them, McLaurin led the team with 4 catches for 62 yards. While those aren’t eye-popping numbers, Taylor Heinicke and Ryan Fitzpatrick split time for the Washington Football Team during that game. They completed a total of 14 passes for 135 yards combined, so 4 catches for 62 yards was pretty good, all things considered.
Since then, he’s racked up at least 117 targets and 1,000-plus yards in each of the past 5 seasons. He earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2022, hauling in 77 catches for a career-high 1,191 yards and 5 touchdowns.
That was despite playing with Carson Wentz (Weeks 1-6, 17), Taylor Heinicke (Weeks 7-16) and Sam Howell (Week 18) as his quarterbacks. No offense to those three, but that’s a very average quarterback room. It was so average, in fact, that they finished .500 (8-8-1) despite playing an odd number of games.
From there, he’s continued to develop into a crisp route runner with great speed and impressive hands. McLaurin leads the league in contested catches since 2020 (89), according to PFF’s Trevor Sikkema. Sikkema also ranked him as the No. 10 wide receiver in the league heading into this season.
Rookie sensation Jayden Daniels exploded onto the scene in 2024, developing a great connection with McLaurin. The 29-year-old receiver led the team in every receiving category, hauling in 82 catches for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns.
Chargers Current WR Room Ranked Near Bottom of League
Back in May, PFF’s Trevor Sikkema released his rankings of the top 32 wide receivers heading into the 2025 season. The only Chargers wideout included on the list was Ladd McConkey. That wasn’t a surprise, considering he broke the Chargers rookie records for receptions and yards in 2024. But, it does show that LA is in desperate need of some help for their budding star.
Overall, the Chargers wide receiver room ranked near the bottom of the league, according to PFF’s rankings last month. Sikkema slotted them in at No. 27.
“Ladd McConkey was fantastic as a rookie, earning an 85.0 PFF receiving grade,” wrote Sikkema. “But outside of him, there isn’t a lot to get excited about in the Chargers’ receiver room.”
The Chargers have struggled to find depth at receiver over the past few seasons, especially after Keenan Allen‘s departure. Even though McConkey stepped up and filled the gap nicely, Kay writes that the Chargers need to give Justin Herbert more weapons “to be an aerial threat going forward.”
While the Chargers brought in two solid rookies during this April’s draft, “they may not be ready to make a major impact as rookies,” wrote Kay. That’s where Terry McLaurin comes in.
“Rather than hope the first-year receivers can step up or [Mike] Williams can turn back the clock, the Chargers should instead put a first-round offer on the table for McLaurin—a move that would guarantee a significant uptick in the passing production should the Washington Commanders accept,” Kay wrote.
LA Has Plenty of Cap Space to Land McLaurin
One of the most important factors influencing this possible move is the Chargers’ cap space. They rank in the middle of the pack for 2025 at just over $27.6 million, according to Spotrac. But, as of now, LA ranks No. 1 in terms of cap space for both 2026 and 2027.
Back in May, CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan highlighted the Chargers among the five teams best-equipped for a big 2026 offseason. He pointed out that they’re the only team with at least $100 million in projected cap space next year.
The Chargers are expected to retain both Rashawn Slater and Zion Johnson up front. Even if they invest heavily in the offensive line, “Jim Harbaugh will have enough to continue to build around Justin Herbert.” That should mean putting more weapons – like Terry McLaurin – around the 6th-year quarterback.
McLaurin’s $19.65 million currently ranks at No. 15 among receivers in total cash for this season, according to Spotrac. His base salary is even lower at $15.5 million, but that ranks at No. 4 at the position for 2025. The 2-time Pro Bowler “has a legitimate argument to earn far more than he is currently drawing from the Commanders,” writes Kay.
There are now 8 wide receivers who have deals with an annual average value of at least $30 million. According to Spotrac, McLaurin’s market value is just under $31.1 million. That would put him just outside the top 5 at the position.
While this trade would catapult the Chargers toward true contender status, I would expect the Commanders to do whatever it takes to keep McLaurin around. With a superstar QB under contract through the 2028 season, they should make it work to keep their core together. But, if McLaurin were to become available via trade, the Chargers should be one of the first teams calling to make an offer.
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