Earlier this week, Matthew Berry of NBC Sports and Fantasy Life, penned a column about some of the different news and rumors he heard from spending several days in Indianapolis at the 2026 NFL combine. The Washington Commanders were of particular interest to Berry, who is a lifelong fan of the team.

Berry shared some things he’d heard about the Commanders, such as the team wanting a “thumper” at running back, new offensive coordinator David Blough’s offense will look a lot like Ben Johnson’s, and not to be surprised if 2026 is Terry McLaurin’s last season in Washington.

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Here’s what Berry wrote:

Also, as long as we are talking Washington, I don’t expect Deebo Samuel to return to the team. The team will look to add to the wide receiver room with an emphasis on speed and don’t be surprised if 2026 is Terry McLaurin’s last year with the team. To that end, one source told me that while almost everyone expects Washington to go defense in the first round this year, “If the top three edge guys are all gone by No. 7, don’t be surprised if the Commanders take Carnell Tate.”

The first thing Washington fans think of is, “But he just signed a three-year extension last summer.” He did, but he didn’t. Sure, he signed a new deal with a raise, but it was very team-friendly. The contract talks were contentious, with McLaurin missing most of the offseason work and training camp. When he returned to the practice field, two weeks before Week 1, all appeared well. Unfortunately, he suffered a quad injury in Week 3 that cost him seven games.

The injury led to career-lows in production for McLaurin in 2025. His age was working against him in contract negotiations, as McLaurin turned 30 in September. The history of paying receivers 30 or older hasn’t been good. While McLaurin has been durable and reliable throughout his career, the Commanders can point to last season’s injury as to why they valued him at a specific number.

On Thursday, Berry doubled down on what he heard at the NFL combine during the most recent edition of “Fantasy Football Happy Hour.”

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“If you remember, there was a contract holdout last year with Terry McLaurin heading into his 30-year-old season and, ultimately, they got that done,” Berry said. “But, McLaurin, not a great year for him last year. He was injured, the production wasn’t necessarily there. And so, I think the thought process is that this is the last year, in terms of the extension that McLaurin got. 2026 is the last year of guaranteed money for Terry McLaurin, and so just sort of thinking about it logically, they didn’t really wanna pay him when he was 30. They ultimately did. Do they really wanna pay him when he is 32? Now, could he have an amazing year this year, and turn it around under new offensive coordinator, David Blough? Sure. But talking to a team source in Washington, as you know, that’s a team I follow closely, and this particular source has been really good for many years, feels like McLaurin’s last year is likely 2026.”

Berry isn’t reporting this will be McLaurin’s last year; he is using logic. He also spoke with a team source. His opinion is informed.

It would be a shame if McLaurin didn’t finish his career in Washington. A third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, McLaurin has been the face of the organization during some lean times. He’s always remained productive. But business is business. You could learn a lot about McLaurin’s future by how the Commanders pursue the wide receiver position in free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft. As Berry noted, Washington could use a top-10 pick on a receiver. That’s not out of the question. Additionally, the Commanders are expected to be aggressive in landing a receiver in free agency who can help McLaurin in 2026.

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Ultimately, McLaurin controls his destiny. If he remains healthy and returns to his normal productive self, the Commanders will find a way to make it work in 2027. If Washington were still determined to move on from him, he’ll have no problem finding another team, even at 32.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Analyst pessimistic on Terry McLaurin’s future