Tensions Rising In Washington Could Give Steelers A Great Shot To Land Terry McLaurin

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off one of the organization's most active offseasons in the history of the franchise, and the fan base wants to see more get done. One of the major talking points is the wide receiver position, as the room is similar to what it has been in recent years. Pittsburgh has a clear cut number one option in DK Metcalf, but behind him, there are some question marks, especially with Calvin Austin III missing a large chunk of training camp. This has sparked speculation about the franchise potentially trading for another wideout, or bringing in a veteran free agent.

One common name that has been brought up in recent months has been Terry McLaurin of the Washington Commanders. McLaurin is entering the final year of his deal, and he is in the middle of a contract dispute with the Commanders as he looks for a new extension. He has requested a trade, but many believe that is just a tactic to get the organization to put together a new contract. There is no other reason for him to want to leave Washington as the team made it to the NFC Championship Game during the 2024 season.

Many NFL fans believe a deal will get done between Washington and McLaurin before the start of the regular season, but the tension within the situation continues to rise. Washington's Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury spoke about McLaurin's situation during a press conference on Friday, and he sounded a bit fed up.

"Yeah, I think it's just one of those deals," Kingsbury said. "It's just time on task, and luckily they had last year to build a rapport and chemistry and Terry understands our system going into Year 2. That should expedite the process. But to me, it's time on task together, on the grass, it's really the only way to continue to build."

Kingsbury pointed out that McLaurin and quarterback Jayden Daniels had great success in 2024 and built up some good chemistry, but it is important to get the duo back working together again. The offensive coordinator wants to see what his side of the ball is going to look like once the season begins, and it is hard to do that without the team's best wide receiver.

Regardless of how successful the Washington offense was during the 2024 season, it takes work during the preseason to get back to that point. The organization is hurting itself by not working harder to get a deal done with its star wide receiver, who also happens to be Daniels' favorite target. Kingsbury spoke more about wanting to get McLaurin on the gridiron, but that doesn't seem to be happening any time soon.

"So, I think we're kind of at that point where we need to start getting those guys when they're available out there," Kingsbury said. "Gelling and seeing what we are as an offense."

The frustration is mounting in Washington due to the entire situation. Even after McLaurin officially requested a trade, it didn't seem like him moving was going to be much of a possibility, but now it does. The Steelers have already called Washington to check in on the chances of acquiring McLaurin, and those chances seem to be rising with each passing day.

Steelers Would Need To Commit To Terry McLaurin In Order To Pull Off Trade

If the Steelers were serious about trading for McLaurin, the franchise would have to give the wide receiver a lucrative extension. It has been reported that he wants to be paid in the same realm as Metcalf, and it is hard to imagine Pittsburgh wants two of those contracts on the books. However, having to provide an extension for McLaurin should weaken the trade value. Pittsburgh gave up a second-round pick for Metcalf, and the organization could probably get away with just giving Washington a third-round selection and something on Day 3 of the draft.

What do you think about the situation in Washington? Let us know in the comments below!

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