Terry McLaurin Requests Trade: Dan Quinn Downplays Situation
Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn has downplayed wide receiver Terry McLaurin’s trade request, calling it a common situation in the NFL. McLaurin requested the trade on Thursday, after conversations about a contract extension did not advance. The player is in a “hold-in” situation and was placed on the physically unable to play list after reporting on Sunday. Previously, he missed practice for the first four days of training camp. Quinn revealed that McLaurin informed him about his request before it was made public.Quinn added that he did not consider it necessary to address the situation with the players to avoid distractions. The coach explained that today’s players are more aware of contracts and recognize the business side of the game. He assured that the team remains focused and that McLaurin’s trade request is part of normal operations in the NFL. “This group is united and focused on what it has to do,” he stated. Jeremy Reaves, a prominent safety and special teams player, agreed with Quinn.We love Terry and we are very happy that he is here and we hope he will be practicing soon, but I also understand the business side of things. That’s what they are working on. I love coaching him.
Dan Quinn
According to sources, negotiations between both parties have been very distant for a long time. Washington has shown reluctance to pay a wide receiver a high market salary, considering that McLaurin will be 31 years old at the start of the extension. McLaurin’s counterproposal is based on the contract of Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf, who signed a $32.5 million annual deal this offseason. McLaurin and Metcalf were selected in the same draft and have comparable stats, but Metcalf is two years younger. McLaurin is in the last year of a three-year contract worth $68.4 million. He will turn 30 in September. Quinn admitted that he wasn’t surprised that the situation reached this point, but left the negotiations in the hands of general manager Adam Peters.Number 17 knows I love him. That’s my guy. I wish him the best, but I have to go out there and do my job. We’re a group that understands we all have a job to do. We have a mutual responsibility.
Jeremy Reaves
As is customary since he was drafted, McLaurin headed to the training field about 20 minutes after the session ended. He greeted his teammates, hugged Jayden Daniels’ mother and owner Josh Harris, who were chatting. Then, McLaurin signed autographs for about 45 minutes, with a young fan yelling at him that he was going to start a GoFundMe account. McLaurin is Washington’s top receiver, after a season in which he achieved the most touchdown passes of his career, with 13. He has surpassed 1,000 yards in five consecutive seasons and is coming off his second Pro Bowl appearance. Since arriving in the NFL as a third-round pick in 2019, McLaurin has been loved by fans and deeply respected in the locker room. For now, he is in rehabilitation for an ankle injury that bothered him at the end of the season and signs autographs for fans after training. He attends meetings and rehearsals. Both he and the team eagerly await his return to the field. Quinn concluded: “It’s an emotional moment. I’m just trying to make sure I support the player as best I can.”I try to avoid judging him. I recognize that players try to secure themselves and their families, so I try not to put myself in that situation. It’s too easy to say, ‘Man, if I had that much, I’d be this or that.’ So I don’t go there. I try to support him as best I can, but we don’t discuss the financial part.
Dan Quinn
