A Detroit Lions rival made headlines on Monday with Washington Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin finally coming to an agreement with the franchise. It has been a well-covered spat between the two sides that ended in predictable fashion. For the Lions, it is sad to see the situation resolved without McLaurin finding a new landing spot away from an NFC threat. However, the potential fallout for Detroit is much more than the Commanders locking up a key piece.
The Lions have a complicated decision quickly approaching with the future of speedy receiver Jameson Williams. A piece of the fallout from McLaurin's extension is a reset market that is only going to continue to push the price up for the Detroit receiver. Williams may not have the numbers or impact of McLaurin, but the talented receiver's price unquestionably just took a leap in the wrong direction from Detroit's perspective.
McLaurin didn't just earn himself an impressive payday, but he has changed future negotiations as each major deal resets the market at every position. Just as Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt previously did for pass rushers in the 2025 offseason, now the Lions are going to have to use this deal as a measuring stick in negotiations with their star.
BREAKING: The #Commanders and All-Pro WR Terry McLaurin have agreed to a 3-year extension worth over $96M, multiple sources tell me.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 25, 2025
The deal is done and "Scary Terry" gets his well-deserved payday — while Jayden Daniels gets his star receiver back in his arsenal. pic.twitter.com/Egn25qxnR8
Lions Fans Shouldn't Be Thrilled with Latest Blockbuster Extension
Jordan Schultz reported McLaurin's extension with the deal being a three-year pact that is worth $96 million. While this is more than earned for McLaurin, it is a bit of a concern from Detroit's perspective. The one issue with having so much talent is the lack of cap space to keep the roster together long term. This is an issue that is soon going to present itself when deciding the future of Williams.
Looking at McLaurin's extension and understanding the impact the speedy receiver has had in big moments, a $75-80 million deal should be the expectation. This is before the 2025 season has been played, which is likely going to push that number up closer to what McLaurin received. The longer the Lions wait to get a deal done, the more the cost will continue to move up.
It appears that Drake London is the next star receiver to be paid, and now will have the advantage of using McLaurin's deal. This is the same perspective Williams will use after taking an expected step forward in the 2025 season. No question, not great news for the Lions on any front when it comes to the blockbuster deal.