Commanders links
Articles
The Athletic (paywall)
Inside Terry McLaurin’s contract, from the incentives to a 49ers special
McLaurin’s contract includes $9.4 million in upside, with incentives and an escalator. There are three performance-based incentives in each of the three new years of the deal (2026-28) that could double in value:
- $300,000 for 83 catches OR $600,000 for 83 catches and the team making the playoffs
- $300,000 for 1,097 receiving yards OR $600,000 for 1,097 receiving yards and the team making the playoffs
- $300,000 for 10 receiving TDs OR $600,000 for 10 receiving TDs and playoffs
The maximum McLaurin can earn each year in performance incentives is $1.8 million.
There is also an honors-based incentive for 2025-28. McLaurin will earn $250,000 per year if he’s selected to the original Pro Bowl team (not as an alternate).
The escalator is also honors-based,
but just for the three new years of the contract. McLaurin will get $500,000 if he’s selected first- or second-team All-Pro in prior seasons of the contract. So, if he’s named an All-Pro in 2025 and 2026, then his 2028 salary would escalate by $1 million. The maximum additional value from salary escalation is $3 million ($500,000 in 2026; $1 million in 2027 with two All-Pro nods; and $1.5 million in 2028 after three).
Then there are the bonuses. McLaurin can earn up to $850,000 if he’s on the active game day roster for all 17 games ($50,000 per game). That’s a total of $3.4 million over the life of the contract.
McLaurin can also get $500,000 in each of the three new years of the deal if he participates in voluntary offseason workouts.
And then there are the 90-man roster bonuses, tacked on to the final two years of the deal. If McLaurin is part of the offseason roster in 2027, he’ll collect $850,000. If he’s part of the offseason roster in 2028, McLaurin would get another $4 million. But there’s a kicker with both roster bonuses: McLaurin won’t earn either until April 1 of that year.
Why April 1 matters
The April 1 trigger date is a 49ers staple that general manager Adam Peters brought with him to Washington. San Francisco often uses April 1 as the end date to exercise option bonuses, as the vesting date for guarantees and as the earn date for 90-man roster bonuses.
Look at the three-year deals linebacker Frankie Luvu and center Tyler Biadasz signed last year with the Commanders. Both have April 1 as the vesting date for guarantees and the earn dates for roster bonuses. So does the deal of tight end John Bates.
Close to half of McLaurin’s signing bonus ($14 million) doesn’t vest until April 1, 2026.
The partially guaranteed $5.35 million of McLaurin’s 2027 salary doesn’t fully vest until April 1 of that year.
And the 90-man roster bonuses in ‘27 and ‘28 don’t vest until April 1 of those respective years.
Using April 1 allows the Commanders to get through the first couple of weeks of free agency, when most of the bigger-name players sign. Veterans who are cut after those two weeks face tougher odds of landing elsewhere when teams have less to spend and fewer spots to fill.
The Athletic (paywall)
Jayden Daniels doesn’t seek the spotlight; it’s coming for him anyway
What separates the special ones from the rest? For Aikman, it starts with that feeling. Presence can’t be faked.
“It’s not arm strength, it’s not about if a guy is mobile or not, all that bullsh– people talk about at the combine,” Aikman says. “To me, it’s the unquantifiable that’s so dangerous.”
It hit Aikman again last season, before Week 3 of “Monday Night Football.” He was sitting with a 23-year-old rookie he’d never met. He’d heard the hype. He’d watched the film. Still, he remained skeptical, like he always does.
Twenty minutes later, Jayden Daniels exited the room. Aikman immediately turned to his broadcast partner, Joe Buck.
“I’m telling you right now, Joe, that kid is going places,” Aikman told him. “He’s the real deal. He’s wired different.”
A night later, Daniels finished with two incompletions in the Commanders’ 38-33 win over Joe Burrow and the Bengals. Aikman’s gut was right, and he knew it. By January, Daniels had authored the most successful season by a rookie quarterback in league history.
Heavy.com
Commanders Add Second Year Guard to Practice Squad
Washington’s decision to sign Dalcourt to the practice squad reflects both his talent and the team’s need for versatile depth. The Commanders continue to evaluate options to strengthen the depth across the offensive line, and Dalcourt offers a blend of size, discipline, and big-game experience. At 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, he has the physical tools required to compete at the professional level.
The practice squad role enables Dalcourt to develop within Washington’s system while remaining ready to be called up to the active roster if needed. For young linemen, this opportunity often serves as the foundation for long-term careers in the NFL.
Sports Illustrated
Why people should pump brakes on Commanders’ Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Croskey-Merritt could be the “rookie out of nowhere” for the NFL like Puka Nacua was for the Los Angeles Rams two years ago, but that is far from a guarantee.
Croskey-Merritt was ranked fourth on the team’s depth chart behind starting veteran Austin Ekeler, change-of-pace running back Jeremy McNichols and third-year pro Chris Rodriguez Jr., who has been cut by the team before.
The tea leaves appear that Croskey-Merritt should be higher than the two veterans because he didn’t suit up in Washington’s last depth chart of the preseason, but this could also swing a different way.
Riggo’s Rag
5 Commanders players ready to explode out of nowhere in 2025
Dorance Armstrong Jr. is entering his eighth NFL season and his second with the Washington Commanders. But the defensive end remains relatively under the radar compared to most players at his position around the league.
Armstrong emerged as a dependable rotational piece with the Dallas Cowboys early in his career. Dan Quinn saw enough to bring him on board in Washington, making him a starter and the team’s most important edge threat by a considerable margin. Aside from a few flashes, his production was nowhere near consistent enough.
There was a lot to like about Armstrong’s ability to generate pressure. He was relentless, making offensive linemen extremely uncomfortable through a blend of athleticism and commitment. He only gained five sacks, so finishing off plays more effectively is the next challenge.
The former Kansas standout needs to raise his effort against the run. Armstrong can get overwhelmed and rarely sets a clean edge. That’s a problem the Commanders are looking to avoid this time around, so nothing but improvements will do.
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders are playing with fire by asking Deebo Samuel Sr. to return kicks
Samuel can return kick-offs. He may well be the Commanders’ best option for the role. He ran back 17 kicks for better than 31 yards per return last season with the San Francisco 49ers. That is an exceptional number. He was actually one-tenth of a yard better than Washington’s second-team All-Pro returner Austin Ekeler.
But just because Samuel can do it, that doesn’t mean he should.
The former South Carolina standout is projected to be an integral part of Washington’s offense. He will likely be the second-most-targeted receiver after Terry McLaurin, and we have all witnessed his explosive ability to run out of the backfield. His one preseason touch came on a running play — a 19-yard jet sweep that opened the Cincinnati Bengals contest.
Asking him to return kicks exposes one of the team’s most important offensive players to unnecessary injury risk. Last season, Ekeler suffered a concussion on a kick return against the Dallas Cowboys and ended up missing the next four games. Washington cannot risk similarly losing Samuel.
What seems so odd about the decision to list Samuel as the team’s top kick-off man is the fact that there are other options. Four different players returned kickoffs for Washington last year. All of them remain on the roster heading into opening day.
Even if Kliff Kingsbury doesn’t want to risk Ekeler — the team’s top returner last year — he still has Luke McCaffrey, Igbinoghene, and Jeremy McNichols available. All have experience returning kick-offs. None are starters.
Podcasts & videos
“Jayden Daniels is true baller” – Von Miller & Rich Eisen discuss Commanders’ Super Bowl aspirations
All About Winning | Commanders Log: Season 4, Episode 6
What The Commanders Should Expect Against The Giants | John Keim Report
NFC East links
Blogging the Boys
Troy Aikman on whether he believes Cowboys care about winning more than anything else
[Rich] Eisen asked Aikman for his thoughts on the thought we began this discussion with. What would Troy Aikman say to fans who feel that way about Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys leadership?
“I’m not sure I can really say much, Rich, to be honest with you because I saw Jerry talk about the fact that… having the Cowboys as a discussion point is meaningful to him. And if people aren’t talking about the Cowboys then he’ll do things to stir it up.”
“So he kind of walked into that and has given the impression that that supersedes winning.”
“And I think in some ways… I’m sure that Jerry and the Jones family and everyone is tired of talking about the fact that they haven’t been to a Championship Game, let alone a Super Bowl, in 30 years…”
“So then when you deflect that then essentially the valuation of your franchise or the attention, and the exposure, or the drama… or as Jerry said the fact that the Cowboys are a soap opera 365 days a year…”
“…that then becomes the scoreboard. Instead of winning and losing on the field.”
“Do I think that winning is not important to Jerry Jones? Not at all. I think Jerry wants to win more than anything else and I think that he’s very exhausted of the fact that this team, although they’ve won a lot of regular season games as you know, it is remarkable how much they’ve won in the regular season over the last 20-25 years, but yet, they’ve only won four playoff games. And that’s hard to stomach.”
NFL league links
Articles
ESPN
NFL MVP, players of year, to wear gold shield uniform patch
For the first time, the NFL will further recognize the achievements of some of football’s top performers from the previous season. Winners of five Associated Press awards from 2024 will wear a gold shield patch inspired by the NFL Honors logo in place of the traditional NFL shield patch on the collar of the players’ game jerseys.
The players wearing the patch are Allen (MVP), Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley (Offensive Player of the Year), Denver Broncos CB Pat Surtain II (Defensive Player of the Year), Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels (Offensive Rookie of the Year) and Los Angeles Rams LB Jared Verse (Defensive Rookie of the Year).
The gold shield patches will be on the five jerseys for the entirety of the 2025 regular season and playoffs.
Discussion topics
The Athletic (paywall)
NFL Hope-O-Meter 2025 results: Broncos, Eagles fans are optimistic, Cowboys not so much
Few fan bases were as optimistic as the Chicago Bears’ heading into 2024 at 97.6 percent optimism, which ranked third in last year’s poll. QB Caleb Williams’ arrival was the source of excitement then. But Chicago still floundered to 5-12 and Matt Eberflus was fired. Now, new head coach Ben Johnson spurs the excitement. And while Bears fans rank lower in our rankings this year (12th), they still check in at a healthy 88.2 percent optimism.
Of course, not everyone is on board in Chicagoland. One pessimistic voter, preferring not to be a glutton for punishment, said, “I’ve seen this so many times with the Bears. … At this point, as a fan, I need to see it to believe it.”
Which fan base is most optimistic about its team heading into 2025 (surprise, it’s not Eagles fans)? Where does hope lie for fans of other franchises as the season nears? Check out the results and responses below.
2. Philadelphia Eagles: 98.3 percent optimism
Optimist: The Eagles may not say it, but all I can think of is a repeat.
Optimist: To win the Super Bowl, especially in such dominant fashion, is just such a treat. Losing key defensive veterans like Darius Slay Jr. and C.J. Gardner-Johnson definitely hurts, but the young talent there combined with the stability on offense maintains both a high floor and ceiling for this group. It would be amazing if this group turns into a dynasty (or whatever the closest version of it a modern team can be), and it feels like we have the on-field ability and forward-thinking general manager to make a run at it. But it’s worth appreciating the view right now, no matter what happens going forward, because it doesn’t get any better than this. And “this” is pretty great.
9. Washington Commanders: 91.1 percent optimism
Optimist: No. 5 is my answer. The rest is incidental.
Optimist: Don’t expect 12 wins with the vastly more difficult schedule, but it feels like the team and the franchise, from ownership to management to coaching to talent, are on their best trajectory since the first Joe Gibbs era. After 30-plus years of misery with brief periods of mediocrity, how can you not be optimistic?
12. Chicago Bears: 88.2 percent optimism
Pessimist: Fool me once, shame on you, fool me 27 times, that’s on me. Last year I bought all the way in on the Bears and it was ridiculous how wrong I was. Good luck, Ben Johnson, but I’m not getting my hopes up until I see actual progress on the field.
Optimist: Bears won’t win the division but will be the best team in the division by the end of the season.
Pessimist: New offense will take time to learn. Unclear if Caleb Williams is a top-tier QB. Roster lacks difference-makers and game-changers.
19. New York Giants: 70.0 percent optimism
Optimist: Abdul Carter and upgrades throughout the defense. The offense being run by a competent QB. And a future with Jaxson Dart. There seems to be a different attitude forming in the building.
Pessimist: The schedule is akin to the late stage Roman Empire battling the Visigoths.
