There was real concern around the status of wide receiver Terry McLaurin for the Washington Commanders' international game against the Indianapolis Colts. Those fears were unfortunately realized.
Despite making a strong push to feature, McLaurin was listed among the inactive players after a hamstring issue flared up during Friday's practice. This was another hammer blow for the offense, which is also without the services of star quarterback Jayden Daniels due to a dislocated elbow.
The timing of McLaurin's absence is just awful.
Terry McLaurin is out for the Commanders in Week 4 just as momentum was buuilding
He was coming off his best game of the early campaign, turning on the style against the Seattle Seahawks to become the dynamic option in the passing game veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota was looking for.
Now, another setback has emerged, and McLaurin will miss another game to continue a concerning trend.
McLaurin was hurt a lot last season. He turned out just 10 times, missing some crucial contests. But the time he got back to anything like his old self, the Commanders were well out of contention.
Things looked more promising this offseason. McLaurin wasn't dealing with a contract holdout, giving him the entire summer to lead from the front and make sure he was in supreme physical shape before the campaign.
But just as McLaurin and the Commanders were building momentum, another setback emerged.
Hopefully, McLaurin won't miss much time. That's why general manager Adam Peters held off on a contract extension until the deal structure benefited the team.
Commanders have a big decision to make with Terry McLaurin this offseason
While talk of McLaurin being injury-prone seems a bit extreme, the Commanders have covered their bases. The former Ohio State standout is 31 now, and this is typically the time when pass-catchers around the league tend to regress.
The two-time Pro Bowler is still an elite performer when firing on all cylinders, but his situation is certainly murky next offseason with a $34 million cap hit and no more guaranteed money on his deal.
At the very least, Peters needs to start thinking about the bigger picture.
It would be surprising to see McLaurin cut or traded, given his ongoing importance to the team's plans. But he isn't getting any younger, so finding more young options who could form the fabric of Washington's future is important.
Only third-round rookie Antonio Williams could be classed as having any sort of future with the club beyond 2026, in all honesty. That makes McLaurin indispensable until further notice, but he'll want to leave no doubt when he gets the all-clear to feature again.
That could be next week against the New York Giants, or it might be longer. But either way, the Commanders need McLaurin on the field to stand any chance of bouncing back this season.
What comes after that isn't important right now.
Commanders inactives against the Colts in Week 4
- WR Terry McLaurin
- RB Rachaad White
- QB Jayden Daniels
- WR Luke McCaffrey
- OLB Javontae Jean-Baptiste
- S Nick Cross
- OL Sam Cosmi
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