Training camps are in full swing all over the NFL, but as is often the case this time of year, the players who aren't in camp due to a disagreement over how much money they're making are dominating the headlines.
Such is the case in the nation's capital, where Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin is at odds with the front office and is searching for a new deal. Though McLaurin has clearly outperformed his contract and has been one of the few bright spots in Washington for years before they broke out in a big way last year, the front office is standing pat... for now.
That has led to McLaurin requesting a trade and setting off a myriad of ideas around the NFL media world as to which team could make a move for him.
"Respectfully Washington, you were a dumpster fire for years. ... The only thing good about your organization was [Terry McLaurin]."
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 4, 2025
—@danorlovsky7 on McLaurin's contract negotiations being "one of the dumbest" NFL offseason situations 😅 pic.twitter.com/swkdTAxApH
Washington would be taking a great risk by not paying him and conceding to his trade request, but if that happens, several teams would jump on the Pro Bowl wide receiver for the right deal. The Los Angeles Chargers have been connected to those trade ideas all offseason, and now a new one has come up in which the AFC West team would make out quite well.
Recently, Daniel Popper of the The Athletic put together a list of potential trade partners for McLaurin and what the team would have to give up to get a deal done. He has the Chargers acquiring him for a fourth-round pick in 2026. Yes, that's it.
"The Chargers are still figuring out who is going to play on the outside alongside star slot Ladd McConkey in three-receiver packages. They have Quentin Johnston and two ascending rookies in Tre’ Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith, but that group is unproven. The Chargers signed Mike Williams as a veteran option in March. Williams, though, retired before training camp. McLaurin would check a number of boxes for the Chargers offense. He played more than 83 percent of his snaps on the outside for Washington in 2024. He was elite in contested-catch situations, a skill the Chargers are seeking. The Chargers have the cap space to take on McLaurin’s salary for this season. They are also projected to have the second-most cap space in the league in 2026, according to Over the Cap. Their top five receivers — McConkey, Johnston, Harris, Lambert-Smith and Derius Davis — are all on rookie deals. They could afford a more expensive veteran contract in this room from a cap perspective. The Chargers would have to do a deal with McLaurin after trading for him. Would he be open to something more short-term? A two-year extension at $30 million in AAV could make sense for both sides", wrote Popper.
The Chargers need more help at wide receiver, and that has been documented all offseason. To get McLaurin for a fourth-round pick would be a steal. Yes, they would need to sign him to the extension that Washington is not giving him, but the team has the cap space available to do that. That has also been well documented.
READ: Chargers backup QB may be trade bait for NFC South team
The Chargers are a team rising into contention with the money available to make at least one deal that significantly pushes the envelope before the season kicks off. For those reasons, they will continue to be mentioned in potential blockbusters such as this one. But to get a top-flight wide receiver for a day-three draft pick is one that the front office could not pass up on.
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