Terry McLaurin was arguably the Washington Commanders’ most important player not named Jayden Daniels last year – yet he is quickly becoming luxury thanks to an undrafted free agent.
That’s the easy conclusion from reports out of Ashburn, Virginia, where the Commanders completed their third day of training camp practice on Friday. McLaurin unsurprisingly missed the roll call for the session, leaving extra reps open for the rest of the receiving corps.
The biggest benefactor of McLaurin’s absence? Rookie receiver Ja’Corey Brooks.
“I’m just trying to prove that I could be able to play here,” Brooks said. “I just want to take it one day at a time. Stack days and stack plays. I ain’t…getting too overhyped or underhyped.”
A former top-100 recruit in the high school class of 2021, Brooks capped off his college career with 61 receptions, 1,013 yards and nine touchdowns at Louisville. He played three years at Alabama before that, recording a standout sophomore season with 39 receptions for 674 yards and eight touchdowns.
At 6-foot-3, Brooks has always been a big-play machine. He averaged 16.9 yards per catch across his sophomore and senior campaigns, a total that would’ve ranked sixth among NFL players with at least 20 catches last year.
Despite his impressive resume, the standout receiver did not hear his name called during the 2025 NFL Draft. The blame for that can largely be placed on his testing numbers, which included a 4.65 40-yard dash, a 30-inch vertical jump, a 4.35-second short shuttle, and a 7.18 three-cone at his Pro Day.
For context, his numbers relative to the players at the combine would’ve ranked:
- 40: Second-last
- Vertical: Tied-last
- Short shuttle: Second-last
- Three-Cone: Last
Despite the terrible results, the Commanders signed Brooks to a three-year, $3 million deal on April 28, two days after the draft concluded.
While many eyes were glued to the speedy Jaylin Lane, a fourth-round selection, second-year spark plug Luke McCaffrey, and the un-retiring Michael Gallup, Brooks stole the show during the first day of training camp.
The UDFA registered a team-high three touchdowns during red-zone work and flashed his fluidity on the field, which wasn’t represented by his testing numbers. He followed that up with another commanding performance on Thursday, becoming one of the stories of the early-camp period.
See the ball, be the ball pic.twitter.com/DUwI1jJ0vb
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) June 4, 2025
Brooks’ ascension creates an interesting dilemma for General Manager Adam Peters with McLaurin still holding out for a new deal. Assuming McLaurin is holding true to wanting at least $30 million annually on his next deal, the Commanders would save about $29 million per year by handing the responsibilities over to Brooks.
The rookie’s production likely wouldn’t match that of a prime McLaurin, but if he can offer even a fraction of that, the financial risk-reward ratio becomes very intriguing.
McLaurin, who will turn 30 in September, is crossing the standard “point of no return” for NFL skill position players. Brooks, 23, would be significantly cheaper and would the team to allocate McLaurin’s usual salary to other areas of the roster.
For example, the NFL’s 2026 free agent list includes Micah Parsons, Rashawn Slater, Georgie Pickens, Trey Hendrickson, and DaRon Bland, just to name a few players.
Aidan Hutchinson, Trent McDuffie, and Kyle Hamilton lead the list of players who will hit free agency in 2027.
McLaurin’s value to the Commanders extends beyond his on-field production. However, there are plenty of locker room leaders, with Bobby Wagner, Von Miller, Zach Ertz, and several others taking on key roles.
An upgraded offensive line should also make Daniels’ life easier in the pocket, even in the event that his favorite weapon from a year ago doesn’t play in D.C. in 2025.
Soberly, the team is only three days into camp. Brooks has a long way to go to prove himself as a legitimate roster player, much less the potential X receiver to replace McLaurin.
Still, there have been recent examples of late-round receivers emerging as legitimate starters – Puka Nacua, Tyreek Hill, and Amon-Ra St. Brown all being examples of that.
Will Brooks allow the Commanders the financial freedom to move off of McLaurin and recoup valuable assets in his place? The next couple of weeks will be crucial in that decision-making process.
