After the Washington Commanders and wide receiver Terry McLaurin came to terms on a contract extension, it should have been a given that McLaurin would continue to solidify the Commanders’ passing offense in 2025. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. After Washington’s first three games, McLaurin has recorded only ten receptions for 149 yards. He has also yet to catch a touchdown pass. In fairness, McLaurin missed all of training camp due to his contract dispute. In addition, Commanders’ quarterback Jayden Daniels is currently sidelined with a sprained right knee, with his return in doubt. McLaurin and Daniels will have to work on their timing during the season to make up for lost time during the preseason.
Or will they? Further complicating matters, McLaurin suffered a quad injury during Washington’s 41-24 Week Three victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. McLaurin will seek a second opinion regarding his injury, leaving his return to the field seriously in doubt. The absence of McLaurin and Daniels leaves Washington without two of their most potent offensive skill players. The possibility of McLaurin missing a significant amount of time reflects the risk the Commanders took in signing him to a lucrative contract extension. It’s been said that a player’s best ability is availability. McLaurin’s uncertain playing status certainly deals a damaging blow to Washington’s offense.
With that said, Washington still made the correct decision in resigning McLaurin. He and Daniels have formed a strong on field chemistry that resulted in Daniels winning the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year award. No one could have predicted that McLaurin would suffer an early season injury. As of this writing, there’s still a chance that McLaurin receives a second opinion regarding his injury, and will be cleared to play against the Atlanta Falcons in Week Four.
The Commanders are grateful for the preseason trade that brought wide receiver Deebo Samuel to Washington. Samuel has assimilated well into the Commanders’ offensive unit. He has become the team’s leading receiver, catching 16 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. Samuel also has four carries for 37 yards and a touchdown as a ball carrier. While Samuel exhibits more versatility than McLaurin (Samuel also leads the NFL with a 36.8 yard average on kickoff returns), McLaurin is more of a bonafide deep threat in the passing game than Samuel. It’s a trait that makes McLaurin invaluable considering the premium that NFL offenses place on the vertical passing game. It’ll be interesting to see how the McLaurin injury affects the Commanders’ offense in the short and long term.