Ron Rivera isn't ruling out the possibility of the Commanders bringing in a high-priced veteran quarterback for the 2022 season. Rivera also wants to make sure that two of his top players will remain in the fold beyond Washington's upcoming campaign.
Rivera made no reservations about his desire to keep receiver Terry McLaurin and defensive tackle Daron Payne in D.C. Both players are entering the final year of their existing contracts. Washington, if it chooses to, could probably extend both players' contracts this offseason, as the Commanders have an estimated $30.4 million in cap space.
"We have a tremendous amount of interest in making sure these guys are with us going forward," Rivera said, via Ben Standig of The Athletic.
McLaurin has been Washington's most productive offensive player since his arrival. A third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, McLaurin has caught 222 of 357 targets for 3,090 yards and 16 touchdowns during his time with Washington. He has also emerged as a team captain. McLaurin, during a 2021 interview with CBS Sports, said that former Washington teammates Case Keenum, Ryan Kerrigan, Adrian Peterson and Vernon Davis set an example for how to be an effective leader on an NFL team.
"The No. 1 thing they always just told me is just having that routine and being consistent. Being the guy that your teammates can trust and depend on and being ready for your moment," McLaurin said. "And that's something I always wanted to adhere to because they were doing it and they've been doing it for so long. Hopefully, I can play for as long as some of those guys have and have an impact like they've had."
A four-year veteran, Payne would play under the fifth-year option if the regular season started today. If he plays under the option, Payne would receive a $8.529 million guaranteed salary for the upcoming season. An exceptionally durable and consistent player during his first four seasons with Washington, Payne has totaled 14.5 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries during his first four seasons.
Given his age and production so far, McLaurin would likely be slated to earn a contract that would pay him at least $16 million a season. Mike Evans, the tenth-highest paid receiver in the NFL in terms of annual salary, makes an average of $16.5 million per season under his current contract. Payne's next contract would likely pay him at least $13 million per season, which would make him one of the NFL's 15 highest-paid interior defensive linemen based on annual salary.
