Should Patriots come calling after Terry McLaurin reportedly requests a trade from Washington?

The arrival of veteran Stefon Diggs this summer gave the Patriots’ much-maligned receiver group a boost.

However, Terry McLaurin, a standout player for the Washington Commanders, may be another enticing target for the Patriots as New England looks to surround Drake Maye with even more quality heading into the 2025 season.

In the midst of a continuing contract dispute, the 29-year-old Washington receiver asked the Commanders for a trade after months of conjecture, according to Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports.

McLaurin, who will turn 30 in September, is about to enter the last year of his contract, which calls for a basic salary of $15.5 million.

Given his age, the Commanders may decide not to offer him a contract comparable to those signed by other exceptional receivers like DK Metcalf (four years, $132 million) and Tee Higgins (four years, $115 million).

However, after coming to Washington as a third-round pick in the 2019 Draft, McLaurin has also been among the league’s top receivers. In addition to his 38 career touchdowns, he has at least 1,000 receiving yards in five consecutive seasons.

McLaurin recorded a career-high 13 touchdowns in the 2024 season and was named to the second team All-Pro squad for the first time in his career.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter stated on The Pat McAfee Show that the Commanders are still reluctant to pay the veteran at his increased price tag after the 2025 season, even though Washington may still view McLaurin as a primary target for Jayden Daniels.

According to Schefter, they cherish and love Terry McLaurin, but they do it at a different cost. They don’t appear to be close.

“The two parties must work together to find a solution to their differences.I don’t feel like anything is close as of right now. #PMSLive ~@AdamSchefterqsYb91b598 https://t.co/U6r6OJSwZSpic.twitter.com

The Patriots, who might still utilize another elite receiver to complement Diggs for the 2025 season and beyond, would be pleased to see McLaurin on the trade market.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated admitted earlier this month that if McLaurin is playing somewhere else in 2025, the Patriots would be among the top suitors.

Because there hasn’t been much communication between the parties, not much progress has been made. And I believe that’s why Terry felt forced to openly express his aggravation about the stalled contract negotiations, Breer said on NBC Sports Boston of McLaurin’s most recent remarks.

Breer went on to say, “I believe the Patriots would be very interested in this.” All of this has a cost, and what does it entail? You’d be talking about a draft pick plus a deal because, of course, he won’t come here with an unresolved contract situation. Given that he attended college for five years, he is a little older than most people think. In September, he will turn thirty. Indeed, this man satisfies all of their requirements for a player, a person, assisting Drake Maye, etc.

Although it would be costly for New England to pay McLaurin a new contract after the 2025 season, according to OverTheCap, the Patriots currently have the largest salary cap space of any NFL team at about $59.9 million.

Eliot Wolf and the Patriots should be calling Washington several times over the next few weeks in an attempt to entice the great receiver out of Washington if McLaurin is adamant about wanting a new contract and the Commanders are not ready to compromise.

Next week, the Commanders will visit Foxborough for a combined practice on Wednesday prior to their preseason debut at Gillette Stadium versus Washington on Friday.

Since 2023, Conor Ryan has worked as a staff writer for Boston.com, covering the Boston Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.