Kliff Kingsbury is the first to blink amid the ongoing contract standoff between Terry McLaurin and the Washington Commanders. The offensive coordinator wants his star wide receiver back on the field, and the latest update can give him hope.
Kingsbury told reporters on Friday, August 15, “I think we’re kind of at that point to where we need to start getting those guys, when they’re available, out there and jelling to see where we are as an offense,” per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
There’s more than an undercurrent of frustration within those remarks. Kingsbury has essentially told the Commanders it’s high time any dispute between McLaurin and the front office was resolved.
We’re not there yet, but McLaurin’s hold-in over a new contract may be over after the Commanders moved him off the PUP list on Saturday, August 16, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who reported the move is “unrelated to negotiations.”
Kingsbury’s eagerness for negotiations to ramp up is understandable when the Commanders open the 2025 NFL season at home against NFC East rivals the New York Giants on Sunday, September 7. It’s a little over three weeks away, and McLaurin still hasn’t taken part in practice entering Year 2 within Kingsbury’s system.
It’s a tricky dilemma because so much of what Kingsbury called last season depended on McLaurin’s ability to get open deep. The play-caller knows second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels is unlikely to take the next step in his development without a credible vertical threat among his skill players.
Kliff Kingsbury Concern Exposes Commanders’ Risk
Standing firm on their valuation of McLaurin is a risk for general manager Adam Peters and the Commanders. Peters is willing to take the risk, but his considerations aren’t the same as those on the mind of Kingsbury.
The latter remains concerned with how best to maximize Daniels’ talents. McLaurin has a key role to play after posting his fifth-straight 1,000-yard campaign last season, along with a career-high 13 touchdown catches.
Daniels knew he could look McLaurin’s way in times of trouble and still find a big play. Like when the pair connected for this 35-yard gain to beat pressure on 3rd-and-8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs.
There isn’t another receiver currently at Kingsbury’s disposal who can make this kind of play. Instead, he has a plethora of dynamic, after-catch specialists who thrive underneath, like All-Pro Deebo Samuel and 2025 NFL draft fourth-round pick Jaylin Lane.
Kingsbury is aware of the problem, saying, “when you don’t have your projected top two outside receivers or both of your projected inside pieces at guard, it’s not going to give you really a chance to gel or really build that relationship until you get everybody else on the grass,” per Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic.
The problem is obvious, but the solution not so much.
Terry McLaurin Waiting on Quick Fix
Entering his age-30 season has weakened McLaurin’s position at the negotiating table, but things needn’t be complicated. Not when the Commanders could hand him a new deal worth $60 million and on a par with what the Pittsburgh Steelers paid DK Metcalf.
Peters hasn’t made that concession so far, but he’s getting closer to having to find a way to make the money add up. The Commanders need their toughest and most consistent receiver, the one player capable of taking the top off defenses in an instant.
Kingsbury knows teams will clamp down on the quick, short throws that helped Daniels take the league by storm as a rookie. This year’s challenge will involve taking on the difficult throws to exploit the longer-developing routes.
Counting on former Dallas Cowboys duo Noah Brown and Michael Gallup to stay healthy is no kind of plan. Kingsbury will want McLaurin game-ready for Week 1.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Terry McLaurin’s Status Changes After Commanders OC Speaks Out appeared first on Heavy Sports.