Could Washington Commanders star wide receiver Terry McLaurin be a training camp holdout? With training camp around three weeks away, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated said contract talks between the Commanders and McLaurin were “still not in a great place.”

In his latest mailbag for SI, a Washington fan asked Breer about a potential McLaurin extension. Here’s his response:

Brandon, they have a lot of work to do. I’d expect that work will pick up again when the league comes back from break in a few weeks. But it’s still not in a great place. So we’ll see what happens—there’s plenty of time to get something done.

Even though Breer said things were still not in a great place, Washington fans should not be pessimistic about a deal getting done. The Commanders understand better than anyone the importance of McLaurin on and off the field. In addition to coming off his best NFL season and finally playing with a true franchise quarterback, McLaurin is the team’s most beloved player, alongside Jayden Daniels. Players, coaches and fans love McLaurin.

Why are these negotiations dragging on despite the Commanders being in excellent salary cap shape? We’ve discussed it before: McLaurin is in a unique position. He’ll be 30 in September, and the Commanders may be looking to protect themselves at the back end of an extension if McLaurin slows down. McLaurin understands this could be his last chance at a monster extension and is wisely using his leverage.

We’ve maintained all along that a deal gets done. That stance is not changing. McLaurin will not only be in the burgundy and gold in 2025, but for years to come.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Terry McLaurin’s contract talks with Commanders ‘not in a great place’