After watching star wide receiver Terry McLaurin get carted off the field during the first half of Monday Night Football, the expected disheartening news broke for Washington Commanders fans on Tuesday morning.
It's a torn patellar tendon for the two-time Pro Bowler and long-time fan favorite. And it all but confirms an even darker fate for McLaurin.
The Commanders are set to owe the 2019 third-round pick $34 million next season if he is on the roster. But his contract is structured so that there is an easy out if he no longer fits the team's future plans.
And after this development, we all know which direction that's headed.
Terry McLaurin deserved better during his beloved Commanders chapter
When McLaurin went down on Monday night, one thought sank the stomachs of every Commanders fan.
Almost certainly, "Scary Terry" had just played his final snap in the burgundy and gold.
For the first six years of his career, McLaurin was one of the NFL's most underrated wide receivers. He played with the likes of a broken-down Alex Smith, Dwayne Haskins, Taylor Heinicke, and Sam Howell, and yet he was a virtual lock for 1,000 receiving yards every year.
McLaurin had to take on every top assignment without ever having a true No. 2 to complement him. And he did it like a total pro.
The Ohio State product never complained. He never showboated his ego or created drama off the field (we'll forgive him for his 2025 contract holdout, which was strictly business). He just did his job and did it well.
McLaurin played in Washington through two team name changes and the tumultuous turnover in ownership. He, defensive lineman Daron Payne, safety Jeremy Reaves, and punter Tress Way are the only active Commanders who once suited up under the team's iconic former branding.
He's arguably the most beloved Washington football player of the past decade. And his pending departure will be extremely difficult to swallow.
Terry McLaurin has etched his legacy in Washington, but it doesn't make it hurt any less
There will come a time for a happier ending for McLaurin. He'll be added to the Ring of Fame and the team's Greatest list. He'll get his special Legend of the Game day, and everybody will be happy to see him again.
But you never wanted his time on the field to end like this. Not just on Monday night, but the way his past two seasons have unfolded.
He finally had a high-level quarterback in Jayden Daniels to throw him the ball. McLaurin was coming off the best year of his career in 2024, earning second-team All-Pro honors and breaking the single-season franchise record for receiving touchdowns. And he got that new contract he so passionately campaigned for.
All was well, and McLaurin was set up to enjoy at least a couple of years of peak production before age caught up.
Instead, he missed seven games in 2025 with a lingering hamstring issue, which flared up again this fall and cost him one contest. And now, this.
If McLaurin and Washington were going to move on from one another after this season, you wanted it to come after a 100-yard performance in Week 18 in a home win over the Dallas Cowboys. You certainly didn't want it to come by way of leaving the field on a golf cart in a Week 6 prime-time loss.
McLaurin deserved better for the majority of his time in Washington, and he deserved better on Monday night. But sometimes, life just isn't fair.
At the end of the night, there's only one thing to say.
We love you, 17.
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