The Washington Commanders have a receiver that’s joining Deebo Samuel and A.J. Brown in wanting a better contract.
That player is wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
He comes from the same draft class as Brown and Samuel.
All three players are critical players for their team.
However, the three players feel they aren’t getting paid what they deserve.
In McLaurin’s case, he can quietly earn a fortune with a new deal in Washington.
The Commanders Best Kept Secret
Most NFL fans haven’t heard a lot about McLaurin until now.
The former Ohio State standout was drafted in the third-round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
2019 Washington Draft Class 🤌
Montez Sweat: 26th Pick
Terry McLaurin: 112th Pick
Cole Holcomb: 173rd Pick
Kelvin Harmon: 206th Pick
Jimmy Moreland: 227th Pick pic.twitter.com/npTT2mikrU— . (@wshcommand) August 8, 2021
With consecutive 1,000+ yard seasons, the Commanders got a steal in McLaurin.
However, his receptions were low compared to other receivers.
2021 saw him with only 77 receptions and 130 targets.
Of the 53 missed targets, he only dropped five passes .
So he gets a fair share of passes thrown his way during the season.
But he has a new starting quarterback in Washington that might help those numbers.
Could Wentz Give McLaurin A Breakout 2022 Season?
Let’s face facts, the Commanders didn’t have great quarterback play in 2021.
In fact, they went through several quarterbacks under center during the season.
However, the inconsistency at quarterback came from injuries those players suffered.
But it still hurt the team, and possibly McLaurin’s stats.
Now he’s got Carson Wentz passing him the ball.
While Wentz isn’t a Tom Brady or a Patrick Mahomes, he’s an okay starting quarterback.
He protects the ball on passes, only throwing seven interceptions last season.
His completion percentage increased last season as well.
Those things give the Commanders and McLaurin hope for a breakout season in 2022.
However, that breakout season hangs on the health of Wentz and McLaurin.
Could McLaurin’s Past Concussion Problems Hamper Him In 2022?
While McLaurin was the top receiver for the Commanders in 2021, he suffered some injuries during the season.
The most alarming injury he suffered was a concussion.
In his NFL career, he has suffered two concussions, with the first coming during his rookie season in 2019.
The last concussion he suffered came against the Dallas Cowboys in their December 2021 game.
Washington WR Terry McLaurin was diagnosed with a concussion and will not return to today’s game vs. Dallas.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 12, 2021
Concussions are extremely serious injuries that have brought many changes to the NFL.
The most common players to have concussions are quarterbacks, but receivers get them as well.
Concussions have affected McLaurin during his NFL career, causing him to miss games.
His 2019 concussion caused him to miss one game, as did his 2021 concussion.
He will need better protection of himself if he wants 2022 to be his best year.
He Is Washington’s Best Option
The Commanders didn’t make moves to get T. Y. Hilton, Wentz’s former teammate, to build up their receiver corps.
That now leaves them with McLaurin to be their number one guy.
With 130 targets last season, it’s clear he’s Washington’s number one receiver.
Going into 2022, he will get those targets from Wentz.
However, he needs to catch those targets.
While McLaurin deserves a better contract in 2022, he needs to show he can improve with a better quarterback passing him the ball.
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