Washington Commanders got a great deal with the Terry McLaurin contract

The Washington Commanders gave Terry McLaurin the contract he wanted, signing the Ohio State product to a three-year extension.

The Commanders didn’t want to risk losing arguably their best offensive threat, so they signed him to a long-term extension to keep McLaurin in Washington.

The deal itself is reportedly a three-year extension worth $71 million. It’ll put him among the top-5 in highest-paid wideouts in football per AAV. Yet, per FanSided NFL insider Matt Verderame, those around the league believe Washington got a steal.

While Verderame points out that most around the NFL thought McLaurin would sign for A.J. Brown money, he instead took less years and a lower AAV than the newly-acquired Eagles wideout.

Washington Commanders get steal with Terry McLaurin contract

McLaurin may have taken less AAV due to his signing bonus, which per Adam Schefter and ESPN was the largest ever given to a wide receiver. The former Buckeye received $28 million once the ink dried. That’s tough to pass up, and does make some history.

The contract avoids a surefire headache for Ron Rivera and Co. McLaurin has already skipped OTAs and some of mandatory minicamp. Next up would’ve been training camp, and that’s dangerous territory for both sides.

McLaurin will be catching balls from new quarterback Carson Wentz this season, so it’s imperative the two get some work in for this marriage to work. The Commanders hope to be a surprising contender in the NFC East. Dallas won the division last year.

The 26-year-old surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in two of his first three years on the job professionally. With a new contract in hand, both McLaurin and the Commanders hope he can reach new heights in short order.