Terry McLaurin's continued absence has been the source of incredible frustration this season. This is the first time that the wide receiver has sustained a long-term injury throughout his career, and it came after the Washington Commanders gave him an extension ahead of time this offseason.
McLaurin lasted just three games before going down with a quad/hip flexor injury. The former Ohio State standout made his triumphant return in Week 8 against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he unfortunately reaggravated the complication.
What the future holds for McLaurin is unclear. He's working hard on his recovery, but the Commanders are taking things gradually to avoid any further problems. They aren't going anywhere fast this season, so erring on the side of caution is the prudent course of action.
Commanders are ramping up Terry McLaurin's recovery from frustrating injury
Head coach Dan Quinn provided an encouraging update on McLaurin as preparations for Washington's international game against the Miami Dolphins began. The wideout is in Spain as part of his rehabilitation, ramping up his movement and taking part in some on-field work to see where things stand.
"He's here. So he'll do some of the movement and the on-field portions of the rehab. The first couple of weeks, he was not able to do that. That'll take the build-up time to do that, but we're glad he's here, taking the next step. Sometimes these injuries take longer than you want, and they're not predictable to say it's going to be this set time. We're just going to continue with the next step, and this is a good sign that we can take the next steps."Dan Quinn
Obviously, fans have heard positive developments regarding McLaurin before. They have amounted to almost nothing, but the fact that he can do things he wasn't able to a fortnight ago cannot be anything other than encouraging.
The Commanders will be in constant assessment mode. They'll give McLaurin the necessary time to rest up during the bye week and take things from there. If they are suitably impressed by his progress, there is a chance the second-team All-Pro can feature down the stretch.
With Will Harris' 21-day window opened, and Noah Brown also ramping up his recovery, it's a glimmer of hope at the end of a very dark tunnel. McLaurin's presence has been sorely missed, and things just haven't been the same this season without him. But if there isn't 100 percent conviction that this is the end of his health issues, the Commanders should not force anything with nothing to play for other than pride.
It's a wait-and-see scenario. But the signs — not for the first time — are looking up for McLaurin.
What comes next is more important.