Dan Quinn expressed hope about the status of prolific wide receiver Terry McLaurin as the Washington Commanders prepare for their Week 6 primetime game against the Chicago Bears. But the signs are now telling a slightly different story.
McLaurin has missed the last two games with a quad complication. The wideout sought additional opinions, and he wasn't placed on injured reserve. This provided hope to fans that it wouldn't be a lengthy absence, but it remains a precarious situation that the Commanders are handling with great care.
Putting the second-team All-Pro out there before he's fully healed could have lingering ramifications at the business end of the campaign. The Commanders won't get far without McLaurin when things matter more. They are also doing just fine without him right now, thanks to the production of Deebo Samuel Sr., Luke McCaffrey, and the league-leading rushing attack.
Terry McLaurin's status for Commanders' Week 6 game is murkier than ever
There was no sign of McLaurin on the practice field for the start of preparations on Wednesday. All eyes were on Thursday's session to see if there would be any progress. As it turned out, the second-team All-Pro didn't come out to the field in pads. He did some stretching during the team portion but worked on the sidelines thereafter.
That's not exactly a promising indicator that McLaurin will feature. The Commanders have an extra day to figure things out, as they're on Monday Night Football. Even so, it's only made fears grow among fans about whether their star wideout will be available for a crucial game that could get Washington to 4-2.
McLaurin is an essential piece of the puzzle. Not having the pass-catcher involved over the summer due to his contract holdout was disappointing. Getting hurt so early into the season was another blow, but there is still time for the Ohio State product to become influential if there are no more complications on the health front.
The 2019 third-round pick is a competitive guy. McLaurin will be striving with everything he has to get back involved sooner rather than later. He's one of the league's most prolific receivers who always comes through when the lights are brightest. Whether it's this weekend or next remains to be seen, but the two-time Pro Bowler will be counted upon heavily when the time comes.
As for McLaurin's official status for Monday Night Football versus the Bears? Time will tell on that one.