Ranking the Commanders next in line for contract extensions after Terry McLaurin

Up until last offseason, the Washington Commanders didn’t have a promising track record when it comes to extending standout players. Since then, though, they’ve hammered out agreements with franchise pillars Jonathan Allen and Terry McLaurin, who signed a three-year, $71 million extension with the club on Tuesday.

We’d be remise if we didn’t knowledge bookend left tackle Charles Leno agreeing to a four-year, $37.5 million extension after he posted the third-best pass-blocking grade (86.5 from Pro Football Focus) amongst all tackles.

Additionally, free agents JD McKissic, Bobby McCain and Cornelius Lucas — all respected veterans — all agreed to re-sign with Washington. That list doesn’t include Danny Johnson and signing kicker Joey Slye to a two-year extension.

With that in mind, it’s captivating to think about who could be next in receiving a contract extension from the Commanders now that McLaurin is locked up through the 2025 season. In this article, we rank those players in order of likelihood and when an agreement/negotiations could materialize.

Which players should the Commanders consider signing to extensions?

4. Chase Young

Look, if Young wasn’t coming off a disappointing sophomore year he’d undoubtedly rank higher on this list. At the end of the day, though, he’s only entering his third season and there’s currently a debate as to whether the Commanders should exercise the fifth-year option on his rookie contract next offseason.

You couldn’t say that after his rookie year, when he took home Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, made the Pro Bowl and staked his claim as one of the most promising young edgers in the game. Alas, his lackluster output (that was grossly exaggerated by some fans) in 2021 and undergoing ACL surgery have turned that previous no-brainer on its head.

That could change in a heartbeat if Young taps into more of his potential next season, however. Assuming he returns from ACL rehab at full-strength and produces like we know he’s capable of, Young could ascend up the ranks as far as Washington’s extension candidates are concerned.

Regarded as a generational edge rusher at Ohio State, Young’s representative rookie campaign still has analysts drooling over his potential, as he cracked Pro Football Focus’ top 25 players under 25 list and landed in the second tier and No. 10 overall in PFF’s recently-released edge rusher rankings.

Young might rank No. 5 on this list, but he feels like a surefire favorite to receive an extension from Washington if everything falls into place post-surgery.