Jayden Daniels' bold Terry McLaurin statement has Commanders fans ready to pop champagne

The Washington Commanders shocked the world last season, going from a team many pegged to finish with one of the worst records in the NFL all the way to the NFC Championship Game. The future, with Jayden Daniels right in the middle of it, felt extremely bright for Washington. The team hoped for an even better 2025 campaign, but their momentum was halted rather quickly when the team's star receiver, Terry McLaurin, demanded an extension from the Commanders and when he didn't get one, demanded a trade. Little, if any progress has been made regarding an extension since the trade demand, but Daniels has Commanders fans feeling that a deal is imminent based on his comments on Monday.

When asked about how frustrating it's been to be without McLaurin, Daniels was blunt. He said, "I know he'll be walking through that door soon."

Obviously, no deal has been completed as of this writing, and Commanders fans have been teased before, but if what Daniels is saying is true, Commanders fans have every reason to be thrilled.

Commanders need Terry McLaurin if they want to meet Super Bowl expectations

McLaurin might not be Ja'Marr Chase, but he's consistently been one of the best receivers in the NFL. He's racked up at least 75 receptions and 1,000 yards in each of his six NFL seasons. The lone exception to that came in his rookie year when in just 14 games, McLaurin had 58 receptions for 919 yards. He shined even with lackluster quarterback play, and right when he got to play with an elite gunslinger in Daniels, he took his game to another level.

McLaurin had 82 receptions for 1,096 yards last season and set a career-high with 13 touchdowns. He was a Pro Bowler for the second time and a Second-Team All-Pro for the first time. The connection with Daniels was on point from the jump, and it was a pleasure to watch those two go to work every Sunday.

While there's no disputing that Daniels can get the most out of anybody, the Commanders simply don't have enough talent without McLaurin. Deebo Samuel was once great, but his only 1,000-yard season was in 2021 and he's now 29 years old. Noah Brown is far from a WR1 or even a WR2.

Commanders have no choice but to pay Terry McLaurin

I understand the reluctance when it comes to giving McLaurin high-end money when he's a couple of tiers below the game-changing wideouts. I also understand not wanting to give a 29-year-old a hefty extension. However, again, the Commanders don't really have an alternative.

Trading him should be a non-starter for a team trying to win a Super Bowl this season. A deal might not look great in three-ish years, but if the Commanders win a Super Bowl, who cares? The last thing they should look to do is throw away at least one year of Daniels on a rookie deal because they're unwilling to meet McLaurin's asking price.

The Commanders need McLaurin, plain and simple. Everybody knows that. If what Daniels is saying is true, Commanders fans can once again feel good about their team seriously competing for a Super Bowl in 2025 and potentially beyond.