Terry McLaurin's green-eyed glances turn up the heat on Commanders

His recent comments should raise the sense of urgency...
Terry McLaurin
Terry McLaurin / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
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Terry McLaurin's green-eyed glances toward contending teams with stability should turn up the heat on the Washington Commanders ahead of their rebuild.

Everyone is looking forward to getting away from it all and seeing what comes next. The Washington Commanders are about to embark on one of the most important offseasons in franchise history. Terry McLaurin's recent green-eyed glances at a leading Super Bowl contender only raise the stakes.

Despite putting up more of a fight than many anticipated, the Commanders were soundly beaten on home soil against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17. Thanks to the Arizona Cardinals, it also surged them up to No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, much to the delight of most of the team's frustrated fanbase.

Commanders should feel pressured by Terry McLaurin's comments

McLaurin couldn't help but be a little envious of the way San Francisco has set up an operation capable of sustained success based on comments via Clutch Points. Something the veteran Pro Bowl wide receiver hopes to experience at some stage during his professional career.

"You want to be a part of something that's sustainable and you're winning completely at a high level. They've got a great staff. They've got great players. You can tell they love playing together. You see why they have the success that they do. You got to give them credit for building that team and for the players going out there and executing. Hopefully I can be a part of something like that, but I'm just focused on myself, my world and my journey and I'm going to keep working to be the best player I can be."

Terry McLaurin via Clutch Points

This isn't a major cause for concern just yet. McLaurin is one of the faces of the franchise and a core foundational piece to build around under the new regime. He's also under contract until 2026, so time is on the Commanders' side to a certain extent.

Commanders
Terry McLaurin / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

However, there's only so much losing players with McLaurin's capabilities can take. He's experienced almost nothing but misery in terms of results since entering the league as a third-round selection in 2019. It's no wonder the wideout wants to be a part of something special.

San Francisco hit in the draft more often than not. They made calculated gambles in the trade market to assist them in the short and long term. No matter which coaches seem to get promotions elsewhere thanks to their success, the Niners always find a way to replace them effectively.

There's a level of stability that hasn't been since in Washington for decades. We can thank Dan Snyder for that. But the actions of Josh Harris' ownership group in the weeks and months ahead could lay the foundations for encouragement at the very least.

The likes of McLaurin and Jonathan Allen - two of the Commanders' primary leaders - will be watching how things unfold closely. They don't want to waste their prime years going through an extensive rebuild. With an abundance of draft picks and the NFL's most available salary-cap space as it stands, there is an opportunity to speed up the process.

Trading McLaurin is out of the question unless he makes things difficult, which appears unlikely. He's one of the most consistent pass-catchers around. He's an alpha within the locker room. He's an exceptional community presence - something that brought a well-deserved Walter Payton Man of the Year nomination recently.

Allen might be a different story considering he's cut a more forlorn figure throughout the campaign and made his feelings known in no uncertain terms. After spending months in the proverbial shadows to assess what needs to be done, all eyes will soon be on Harris and his wealthy team of investors in their pursuit of restoring pride to a sleeping giant.

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