Dan Orlovsky urges Washington Commanders to pay Terry McLaurin amid holdout

Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky has a very strong opinion regarding Terry McLaurin holding out from the Washington Commanders: Pay the man. 

During ESPN’s “First Take,” the quarterback-turned-analyst took a strong shot at the Commanders for not paying their top receiver, who has been holding in with the franchise at training camp due to a contract dispute. 

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Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Commanders looks on during warmups prior to playing the Detroit Lions during the NFC Divisional Playoff at Ford Field on Jan. 18, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

“Respectfully, Washington, you were a dumpster fire for years,” Orlovsky told the panel. “You were a laughingstock. The only thing good about your organization was that young man. Every year, he did it. Year after year after year, for like five or six years, with disaster all around you.”

The Commanders were the surprise of the NFL last season, as rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and a brand-new coaching staff led by Dan Quinn pumped new life into the franchise searching for its first postseason berth since 2020, but it did much more than that. 

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Washington upset the Detroit Lions on the road in the Divisional Round to find itself in the NFC Championship Game for the first time since it won the Super Bowl in 1991. They weren’t able to make “The Big Game,” but it was clear with Daniels under center that the Commanders would be a playoff contender for years to come. 

But McLaurin, a third-round pick by Washington out of Ohio State in 2019, has been through thick and thin with the franchise, as Orlovsky alluded to. And with his contract up after this season, he’s seeking another extension to remain a cornerstone piece of the offense, and more importantly, Daniels’ favorite weapon in the pass game for years to come. 

The problem is the franchise reportedly does not see McLaurin as someone who should be making at least $32 million per season like other top receivers got in their new deals this offseason. The Pittsburgh Steelers, after trading with the Seattle Seahawks, gave D.K. Metcalf that type of deal. 

Jayden Daniels #5 of the Washington Commanders celebrates with Terry McLaurin #17 after defeating the Detroit Lions 45-31 in the NFC Divisional Playoff at Ford Field on January 18, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan.  (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

Orlovsky says Washington needs to consider McLaurin as a necessity for its offense to function the way it wants to in 2025. 

“If you don’t have him, you erase everything that you did last year,” Orlovsky said. “Everything that you did. And I’m being respectful to Dan Quinn and [general manager] Adams Peters and what they did last year. You need him. Give me receivers that impact winning as much or if not more than Terry McLaurin. … I’ll give you [Bengals’] Ja’Marr [Chase]. I’d give you [Vikings’] Justin [Jefferson]. [Lions’] Amon-Ra St. Brown. He impacts winning. … What are we doing in Washington?”

The 29-year-old McLaurin has totaled at least 1,000 yards in each of his last five seasons with the Commanders, tallying 1,096 with 13 touchdowns in 17 regular-season games last year. Then, he caught 14 passes for 227 yards and three scores in the playoffs for Washington. 

Wide receiver Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Commanders warms up prior to the NFC Divisional Playoff game against the Detroit Lions, at Ford Field on January 18, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)

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McLaurin may be in the building, but he has yet to practice with his teammates until he gets a deal inked on paper. There has been widespread debate about what he deserves on the market, but Orlovsky is clearly on the side of paying McLaurin what he wants. 

If they don’t, and McLaurin is missing games in 2025, he certainly believes the offense won’t function as well as it did in 2024. 

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