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One day after it was reported that Washington Commanders star wide receiver Terry McLaurin would not be reporting to this week’s mandatory three-day minicamp as he looks to put pen to paper on a new contract while in the final year of his rookie deal, Washington head coach Ron Rivera told reporters that discussions with the 26-year-old were “headed in the right direction.”
McLaurin wasn’t at the facility again on Wednesday, but that didn’t stop Rivera from declaring the receiver won’t be going anywhere before or during the summer months.
“We intend to do this because we believe in who Terry is for us and what he can bring to the table,” Rivera explained about eventually locking McLaurin down, according to Peter Hailey of NBC Sports Washington. Rivera then left little doubt about his feelings on possibly acquiring assets for McLaurin.
“We’re not trading Terry,” Rivera remarked.
Rivera continued:
“To give you guys a little tidbit, we’ve been talking with his folks probably the last week and we’re working on some stuff. Hopefully, it’ll be taken care of in a matter of time. How much time? Don’t know. But it’s never contentious, I can promise you that. We’re feeling pretty good and pretty confident that this’ll get done.”
Per ESPN stats, McLaurin led the Commanders last season with 77 receptions, 130 targets, 1,053 receiving yards and five touchdown catches. Trading him to accumulate picks before April’s draft may have been a logical move, but Rivera has made it clear he expects to compete this fall with new starting quarterback Carson Wentz atop the depth chart and won’t embrace a rebuild at this time.
“We’re trying to get people to understand that we’re not the past,” Rivera added during his comments. “If we can get guys like Terry to come here and play for us and have success, have success with Carson, then all of the sudden people are going to say, ‘Wait a minute, you can do it here. Absolutely.’ And that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to create that type of atmosphere.”
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