Despite having a promising one-two punch of pass-catchers in second year wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. and Pro Bowl tight end Trey McBride, the Arizona Cardinals may be in the market for another dynamic playmaker in the passing game.
On July 31, Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin formally requested a trade after contract negotiations went south. McLaurin, who made his first All-Pro team thanks to his performance during the 2024 season, has one season remaining on a three-year, $68 million extension he signed in 2022.
There is a long history of players, especially at this time of the year, requesting trades in response to contract negotiations falling apart. McLaurin wouldn’t be the first, nor the last, to end up returning to his previous team with a new deal in place. But if McLaurin ends up on the trade block, the Cardinals are certainly a team to look out for.
Analysts Agree That Arizona Could Pursue McLaurin Trade
If you were to take a look at any article floating around the internet related to likely suitors for Terry McLaurin, the Arizona Cardinals are one team that pops up on just about every list.
Alex Hanczar of Pro Football Network notes that the Cards currently have more than $35 million in cap space, enough to make a deal for the seventh-year receiver and sign him to the extension he badly wants.
The Score’s Caio Miari explains that by adding McLaurin, the Cardinals would be taking a considerable amount of pressure off the shoulders of Marvin Harrison Jr.
But it’s Jacob Camenker of AZCentral who makes perhaps the most compelling point as to why Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort should be calling up Commanders GM Adam Peters right away.
“He [McLaurin] would be an upgrade over Michael Wilson, who generated 47 catches, 548 yards and four touchdowns as the team’s No. 2 wide-out last season,” Camenker wrote on July 31.
Cardinals Pass-Catchers Beyond Harrison, McBride Lack Juice
After Marvin Harrison Jr., the Cardinals wide receiver room is filled with guys who are under-qualified to take on the role of WR2 in a top-tier NFL offense. Guys like Wilson, Zay Jones and Greg Dortch could crack a rotation, but none of those three provide much long-term or short-term upside as the third-most targeted option in the passing game.
Quez Watkins flamed out in Philadelphia, and beyond him, it’s a who’s who of no-name receivers battling for a roster spot. McLaurin would represent a significant boost to the room right away, and if Arizona were to reach a deal with him — which they would make sure of before making the trade to begin with — he’s still only 29 years old, meaning he could theoretically remain in his prime up until the point that Harrison and McBride are both in their’s.
Nobody would benefit more from the addition of Terry McLaurin than Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who is at a crossroads heading into the 2025 season. Murray has flashed star potential over his six seasons as the starting quarterback in Arizona, but he hasn’t yet been able to put it all together. He’s just 36-45-1 as a starter for the Cardinals, and patience is beginning to wear thin.
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