It’s fun to imagine one last all-in move by GM Omar Khan and the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, but don’t expect that to come via a trade at the wide receiver position. Washington Commanders WR Terry McLaurin and San Francisco 49ers WR Jauan Jennings are both unhappy with their contracts, but neither trade seems likely to happen with new information to consider.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Commanders made it clear they will not be trading McLaurin.
“The wide receiver market has jumped into that $30 million range. My sense is McLaurin feels Washington hasn’t really been willing to acknowledge that. So if they’re not, it’s almost like he’s taking a pay decrease ’cause he’s a year from free agency,” Fowler said via SportsCenter this morning. “Cooler heads should prevail. They want McLaurin there. They’re not trading McLaurin. That was made clear to me from a source of the team.”
The Commanders made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game last season on the shoulders of a historic season by rookie QB Jayden Daniels. Dealing his top target would not make any sense for a team that has just entered a legitimate window for Super Bowl contention.
They acquired Deebo Samuel this offseason and have several WR3 types on the roster, but losing McLaurin would instantly make them one of the least threatening WR rooms in the league.
As for Jennings, just look at the 49ers’ recent additions to their physically unable to perform (PUP) list. WR Brandon Aiyuk and WR Ricky Pearsall Jr. both landed on that list to open up training camp. And Samuel is in Washington now, which means Jennings is their top guy entering the season as of right now.
The 49ers have given some of their star players big money in recent years. They are looking to get back into Super Bowl contention after a down year in 2024, and dealing Jennings could potentially hamper their offense for the first several weeks until Aiyuk can return.
Do we really want to relive the 49ers trade drama throughout training camp again after the Aiyuk situation last offseason? They seem to always end up paying their players after long, drawn-out negotiations.
I’m not so sure they view themselves as needing WR help right now anyway. But if they do, I wouldn’t expect it to be one of McLaurin or Jennings.
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