The Washington Commanders are looking for the perfect complement to Pro Bowl quarterback Jayden Daniels and NFL All-Pro wide receiver Terry McLaurin in 2025 – meaning another wide receiver who will fit seamlessly in the offense and help get them to Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California in February 2026.
With a ton of money to spend in free agency and the franchise’s future as bright as it’s been in almost 40 years, the Commanders should have their choice of great players to bring in.
If he’s healthy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin might just be that dude — especially with a late season surge from rookie Jalen McMillan seemingly making Godwin and his projected 3-year, $67.5 million contract expendable.
“Moneywise, it does kind of feel like the emergence of (Jalen) McMillan that they can move on from Godwin they got some production from Sterling Shepard is there a low cost free agent they can bring in as well,” Fantasy Football guru Matthew Berry said on February 3. “… Commanders do need a No. 2 wide receiver and they do have the third-most money under the cap. So I do wonder if one of these big-name guys could go play opposite Terry McLaurin. People in the NFL are going to say ‘I wouldn’t mind going to play with Jayden Daniels.’ ”
Godwin One of NFL’s Most Consistent WR Threats
Godwin was on track to have the best season of his career before he suffered a dislocated ankle in Week 7 — at the time he was leading the Buccaneers and third in the NFL with 50 receptions for 576 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Godwin was also on track for his fourth consecutive season of at least 1,000 receiving yards. He had his career high of 1,333 receiving yards in 2019, when he was named NFL All-Pro and selected to the Pro Bowl.
Commanders Might Want to Spread Money Around
The Commanders will have close to $100 million available in salary cap space but might not want to go totally nuts on spending for a wide receiver.
Players like Tee Higgins, Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper and Diontae Johnson are all going to be free agents, with Higgins being the likely top prize among that group — a player that command a total contract value of approximately $100 million over 3 or 4 years.
The Commanders also don’t probably need to aim so high as to bring in a player like Higgins because they already have a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver option in McLaurin, who earned NFL All-Pro honors for the first time in 2024 with 82 receptions for 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns as Washington advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991.
McLaurin isn’t just one of the NFL’s best wide receivers, he’s also one of the most durable. The former third round pick out of Ohio State in the 2019 NFL draft has only missed 3 games in 6 seasons and hasn’t missed a game since 2020 — starting 97 out of a possible 100 career games.
There’s also the matter of McLaurin getting paid again. He’s due to make $19.65 million in 2025 and is entering the final season of the 3-year, $68.36 million contract extension he signed in June 2022. According to Spotrac, McLaurin is likely in line for another 3-year extension, although this time at an estimated $82.4 million.
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