Terry McLaurin’s $96M Extension Is Not All Good News for Commanders As Dan Quinn Faces Roster Challenge

Terry McLaurin has been Washington’s compass in the storm. QB chaos came and went, but he never wavered. Last season, with Jayden Daniels finally calming the QB carousel, McLaurin hit career-high marks and became more than just a safety blanket. He was the anchor for a rookie learning how to swim in deep water. But anchors don’t come cheap. Entering the final year of his deal, McLaurin wanted what he felt he’d earned—north of $33 million annually.

Washington, meanwhile, drew a hard line closer to $27–28M. That gap was a canyon. The contract standoff turned bitter: McLaurin skipped mandatory minicamp, racked up $300,000 in fines, and found himself slapped on the PUP list with an ankle injury. The silence from the front office only added fuel. At one point, McLaurin himself admitted the process was “frustrating and disappointing,” a rare crack in the armor of a player usually all business.

And yet, even the longest standoffs break. Washington finally pushed its chips in. On August 25, McLaurin signed a three-year, $96 million extension with a $30 million signing bonus—ending the hold-in saga and securing his place as Daniels’ WR1. The deal shut down the noise just in time for Week 1, but it also presented the Commanders with a new challenge. The star wideout hasn’t practiced all summer, and behind him, the cupboard looks thin. Deebo Samuel is still searching to prove he can be that every-Sunday spark in burgundy and gold, while veterans brought in as insurance—Michael Gallup and Chris Moore—never made it past the block. What’s left is a depth chart that reads Noah Brown, Luke McCaffrey, and rookie Jaylin Lane. Five receivers total. That’s a razor-thin margin for error.

And yet, the Commanders believe they’ve added the wildcard who can flip a game on its head. Think back to that unforgettable Week 18 in 2022—SoFi Stadium shaking, the 49ers’ season hanging by a thread. Deebo Samuel slices through defenders for a score, then throws a 24-yard dime like he was born to be both QB and WR. That night was a reminder that Deebo at full tilt is chaos incarnate. Fast forward to Ashburn, Virginia, in 2025: the jersey’s burgundy now, the system is Kliff Kingsbury’s, and once again, Deebo is the piece defenses can’t game-plan away.

Coming off a career-best 13 touchdowns and 82 catches, he arrives as Terry McLaurin’s co-pilot, with the league on notice. Tyler Biadasz said it best when McLaurin’s return was announced: “Hopefully he comes back on the field and we get him back. We’re always excited for it.” That excitement now bleeds into a locker room that already feels different—hungrier with fewer excuses. Add rookie back Jacory Croskey-Merritt flashing in camp, and suddenly this Commanders offense looks built to bully.

The hard part behind shaping Washington’s roster around Terry McLaurin

Just as the ink dried on Terry McLaurin’s extension—Washington’s offense roaring back to life with its WR1 locked in—Dan Quinn’s defense is staring down a problem that could tilt the season. The linebacker room looks like a seesaw balanced on two giants: Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu. Last year, they were ironmen, with Wagner taking 99% of snaps and Luvu nearly the same. But that was yesterday’s war. What happens if one falters this year? Behind them, the Commanders don’t have shadows. Preseason has already exposed it: without the vets, Washington’s defense was outscored 78-21.

The local airwaves picked up on the same storm. On 106.7 The Fan, John Auville didn’t sugarcoat it: “Outside of Luvu and Wagner, it’s paper-thin.” Jason Bishop rattled off the backup options—injured Jordan Magee, aging Nick Bellore, untested rookie Kain Medrano—and none sounded like a lifeline. Auville doubled down: “If one of those guys goes down, you’re in panic mode.” That’s the nightmare. No plan B. Magee, in particular, has been a ghost, injured last year, sidelined this preseason, and barely logging a single series against Baltimore. This is the kind of fragility that keeps head coaches awake at night.

And yet, in the middle of the worry, an unlikely spark has emerged. Undrafted rookie Ale Kaho—No. 51—has been Washington’s preseason heartbeat, logging 89 snaps, leading the defense in grades, and putting together a seven-tackle showcase against the Ravens. Auville and Bishop both tipped their caps: this kid has a nose for the football, and more importantly, he’s forcing his way into the conversation. But here’s the catch—hope in undrafted rookies is like building a house on sand. For now, the Commanders cling to Terry McLaurin’s return as the rock on offense, while Quinn’s defense tiptoes into the season knowing one misstep at linebacker could send the whole balance crashing down.

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