Dan Quinn defends Terry McLaurin call as Commanders backlash misses the point

Terry McLaurin missed Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts with a hamstring issue. The wide receiver was pushing hard to play, but Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn erred on the cautious side.

This drew backlash from parts of the fan base on social media, but Quinn doubled down on his stance during his Monday media availability.

Quinn acknowledged it was a difficult decision. McLaurin is experienced enough to know his body, but the call wasn't his to make.

Dan Quinn doubles down on Commanders' Terry McLaurin call amid fan backlash

Too much doubt crept in, and the wideout wasn't risked. There will also be no real update on his availability against the New York Giants until later in the week.

Though frustrating, Quinn said he made the right choice. Even if some fans and the player didn't agree.

"You know, it was a difficult call, but one that was the right call on Sunday. But I'll give you a better update once we go through him working off to the side with the trainers. Today was more on the strength side of things, so we'll give you a better update as we get to it."

Maybe the Commanders thought they could get past the Colts without McLaurin. That's an arrogant way to approach things, but the player's health was no doubt at the forefront of Quinn's mind.

Every player wants to play. Almost every player is playing hurt at this time of year. But with the Commanders dealing with so many injury problems, they cannot leave anything to chance with one of their franchise cornerstones.

McLaurin desperately wanted to be involved. But the Commanders hesitated to give him a shot, knowing the repercussions if the hamstring issue worsened.

Commanders played the long game with Terry McLaurin, which is a fair call

And they still have a long way to go.

I get it, everyone is looking for scapegoats and excuses right now.

The Commanders are 1-3, and they are 3-13 over their last 16 regular-season games. That is unacceptable, but criticizing Quinn for doing right by McLaurin isn't the way to air your grievances.

Hamstring injuries are tricky. They can pop and get worse at any moment. If McLaurin was feeling something, the Commanders were right to be cautious. The player didn't like it, but missing one game to ensure he's healthy for the remaining 13 is a risk Quinn was willing to take.

The former Ohio State standout is a notorious competitor. McLaurin also missed a lot of time last year, which stung. Landing on the injury report late raised enough concern for the Commanders to rule him out, and even though it's come with questions, things would have been worse if something had gone wrong.

It's not a scared approach.

It's a safe one.

McLaurin will be striving with everything he has to prove his fitness this week, especially with star quarterback Jayden Daniels set to make his triumphant return from a dislocated elbow after a two-game absence. But Quinn was noncommittal until the markers are cleared.

That makes it a waiting game for everyone. But the sooner McLaurin gets back involved, the better.

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