Contract negotiations between Terry McLaurin and the Washington Commanders have not produced the progress the receiver was hoping for, prompting him to request a trade Thursday.
Should Commanders GM Adam Peters decide to move McLaurin, who might be interested in trading for the two-time Pro Bowler?
Below are the six teams that make the most sense to pursue the veteran wideout:
Mike Williams' surprise retirement resurfaced a problem the Chargers hoped they'd eliminated when they welcomed him back this offseason. Now, their top two options are second-year sensation Ladd McConkey and underachieving 2023 first-rounder Quentin Johnston. After reaching the playoffs in Jim Harbaugh's first year, the Chargers will be expected to build on that progress in 2025, a goal that will be much more difficult to reach with only one proven option out wide. A McLaurin trade would move him to a team with deep postseason aspirations and pair him with a magnificent quarterback in Justin Herbert. Not to mention, it would place him on a team that has $84 million in cap space to use to account for an extension in 2026. It almost makes too much sense.
The Raiders made two big splashes in the offseason when they traded for Geno Smith and drafted Ashton Jeanty, filling two massive needs on the offensive side of the ball. The big question mark that followed them from 2024 into 2025 still remains, though: Who will their quarterback target? Brock Bowers is already an elite tight end, but outside of Jakobi Meyers, Smith doesn't have many proven pass catchers out wide. McLaurin would answer this question emphatically. With $37.8 million in current cap space and $99.1 million to work with in 2026, they could easily fit an extension for McLaurin into their books, too.
New York's transition from the short-lived Aaron Rodgers era included the departure of Davante Adams (plus Mike Williams' in-season trade), leaving New York a little thin at the position. The Jets added Josh Reynolds and Tyler Johnson in the offseason, but the corps lacks punch on paper entering a season in which Justin Fields is taking over and will be expected to produce. Fields has one trusty, big-play receiver in former Ohio State teammate Garrett Wilson, and while they didn't cross paths in Columbus, why not add another former Buckeye in McLaurin? The veteran would immediately give Fields another high-level teammate to target plenty in this new-look offense and raise the Jets' ceiling. And with Fields on a two-year deal, it would be worth adding a receiver approaching 30 in order to produce instant results.
The Patriots are currently in the midst of a battle royale for their open receiver jobs. Stefon Diggs has returned ahead of schedule and is a full participant in camp, but their partnership might only last a year or two, based on the structure of his contract. The rest of the group is far from settled. Bringing in McLaurin would equip ascending quarterback Drake Maye with a proven playmaker and upgrade the entire offense's potential while also sending McLaurin to a team that would be willing to pay him, judging by how New England spent its massive amount of cap space in 2025. It just might not lead to the postseason excitement McLaurin enjoyed last season in Washington.
After a 6-11 season caused -- in part -- by a number of devastating injuries, the 49ers are feeling the pressure to produce in 2025. They've paid Brock Purdy, cleared some cap space by trading away Deebo Samuel and expect Christian McCaffrey to back to his game-breaking self this season. The current state of their receiving corps, however, is giving them cause for concern. Their $30 million-per-year receiver Brandon Aiyuk doesn't have a clear timetable to return from a season-ending knee injury suffered in 2024, leaving them with veteran Jauan Jennings and second-year wideout Ricky Pearsall as their top two options. McLaurin would fill out the group nicely and buy them plenty of time to be patient with Aiyuk while trotting out a threatening offense. Plus, after San Francisco sent Samuel to Washington to team up with McLaurin, the narrative crafted by a return shipment of McLaurin to the Bay Area would just be too juicy to ignore.
Any deal for McLaurin would likely include a previously agreed-upon extension, which would theoretically eliminate Cleveland -- a team that is staring at a $36.4 million cap deficit in 2026 -- from consideration. But beyond 2026, the Browns have $129 million in effective space to work with, which they could utilize by backloading McLaurin's deal and pushing out his cap hit into 2027. But is it worth it? McLaurin turns 30 in September and without a clear top option under center, the Browns aren't expected to contend in 2025 (or perhaps even 2026). On the other hand, the Browns desperately need another quality receiver opposite Jerry Jeudy, who is operating on an island of isolation in Cleveland this season (unless Diontae Johnson generates a renaissance season). Cleveland's coaching staff and front office members are also working for their jobs this year, and if the best lineup they can assemble for 40-year-old Joe Flacco includes Jeudy and McLaurin, they'll have a much better chance of success than if it's just Jeudy and Johnson. On paper, it makes plenty of sense. As it pertains to long-term planning, perhaps not so much.
