Commanders WR Terry McLaurin trade buzz sparks warning for NFL team

The Washington Commanders have a sticky situation on their hands as receiver Terry McLaurin wants an extension before showing up to play the final year of his current deal, and second-round cornerback Trey Amos remains unsigned as of Tuesday night.

While the negotiations with McLaurin have seemingly gone nowhere, most likely because the two sides aren't talking, many have wondered what the trade market for the Commanders' star might be.

If Washington were to get to the point of seeking a trade for McLaurin, at least one NFL team should resist entering the conversation, even though they have an Ohio State quarterback leading their franchise this season.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17). / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

"Despite McLaurin’s potential availability creating a tempting situation for the Jets, this is a situation New York should avoid for two reasons," says Colin Keane of New York Jets On SI. "First, from a financial perspective, McLaurin’s going to demand (and deserve) a massive payday soon, whether that’s an extension in the coming days or a new deal after the season, and the Jets just committed $90 million of guaranteed money to another receiver on Monday. Investing more than a quarter-billion dollars in one position isn’t a great path to building a balanced roster, but that’s exactly what might befall the Jets if they decided to pair McLaurin with Wilson.

"Secondly, from a culture standpoint, McLaurin isn’t a sure bet. Despite his frustrations with the Commanders’ front office, he’s expressed a commitment to Washington and clearly wants to stay there. If he were traded from Washington to somewhere else, especially to a rebuilding situation like the Jets, who knows what kind of state of mind he’d be in entering the 2025 season?"

It is a little wild to see analysis about McLaurin that says he should be getting a big payday but then is also not a sure thing.

In fact, that may be the conflict between the receiver and the Commanders today, if McLaurin wants big money but general manager Adam Peters doesn't want to pay for uncertain production down the line.

Even though McLaurin has now gone public with his stress over the situation, it doesn't appear a trade is imminent. If one comes to be, however, we can apparently count the Jets among those who might glance once, but won’t take a serious look.