Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin is currently away from the team during voluntary OTAs as he seeks a resolution on his contract. McLaurin is entering his fourth NFL season, which happens to be the final year on his rookie contract signed in 2019.
As a third-round pick in 2019, McLaurin’s four-year pact was worth $3.85 million. To say McLaurin has outperformed that contract would be a massive understatement. McLaurin has 222 receptions, 3,090 receiving yards, and 16 touchdowns in three NFL seasons.
Cynthia Frelund is NFL.com’s analytics expert, and every year she uses her context-based model to name each team’s most underappreciated player.
McLaurin is Washington’s pick:
APY: $961,918 (rookie contract; 181st among receivers).
I personally believe that McLaurin is the most underrated receiver in the entire league. How has he not been to at least ONE Pro Bowl?! One of the game’s best route runners, McLaurin earned the third most yards of separation on all routes run in 2021, per computer vision. (Remember, this doesn’t mean he was targeted in these instances … though, maybe he should have been). His ability to run the complete route tree has led to him compiling the fifth most yards on in-breaking routes (angle, in, cross, post, slant) and the 11th most on deep passes since entering the league.
Frelund is right. How has McLaurin not been to one Pro Bowl? We think we know why and it has nothing to do with McLaurin’s abilities.
Whether Washington reaches a new deal with McLaurin or he receives that contract somewhere else, he will not be on the underappreciated list next year and beyond.