Commanders sign new wide receiver as Terry McLaurin contract saga continues with camp holdout

A cloud hangs over the Washington Commanders’ training camp, as star wideout Terry McLaurin is not in attendance due to his lingering contract situation. The player that caught a franchise-record 13 touchdowns last year still hasn’t received the extension he’s been pursuing for months now, so he decided to voice his frustration to the front office in a different way. 

With McLaurin absent from camp, the Commanders brought in a new wide receiver to join the room. On Wednesday, the team announced that they signed Tay Martin, who spent last season with the Tennessee Titans. 

The Oklahoma State product went undrafted in 2022, and joined the San Francisco 49ers. He spent over two years with the organization, and appeared in three total games. Martin was then scooped up by the Titans last September and placed on their practice squad. He got a chance to suit up in the regular-season finale, and made his first NFL reception — a beautiful 49-yard touchdown catch against the Houston Texans.

In Washington, Martin joins a wide receivers room that’s headlined by Deebo Samuel, Noah Brown, Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane, Michael Gallup and K.J Osborn. It’s a relatively deep group, but with McLaurin currently out of the lineup, it provides an opportunity for other pass-catchers to stand out.