Terry McLaurin is highly familiar with the quarterback carousel.
The wide receiver experienced nothing but a constant stream of quarterback gambles gone wrong almost from the moment he joined the Washington Commanders as a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. And just when it looked like McLaurin had finally found some stability, the curse at football's most crucial position struck the franchise again.
Jayden Daniels and McLaurin have barely played four games together this season. Both have been injured for a considerable period. The wideout is now back in the groove, but the former LSU standout is shut down for the campaign with Washington playing for nothing other than pride.
If that wasn't bad enough, veteran backup Marcus Mariota sustained a hand injury against the Philadelphia Eagles and is unlikely to participate on Christmas Day versus the Dallas Cowboys in Washington's regular-season home finale.
Terry McLaurin is dealing with another Commanders QB carousel he thought was behind him
That leaves the Commanders with either journeyman Josh Johnson or Jeff Driskel, who was signed from the Arizona Cardinals practice squad this week, deputizing under center. Not exactly encouraging for players like McLaurin who want to leave a positive impression before the offseason, but he's at least got the experience of producing results despite quarterback instability.
This won't be music to the ears of fantasy football managers in championship games across the country. They were hoping for McLaurin to finish on the front foot after an extended period on the sidelines. He still might, but the presence of either Johnson or Driskel distributing the football isn't exactly going to fill them with confidence.
As has been the case throughout McLaurin's prolific career in Washington, he will make the best out of a less-than-deal situation.
He's been a model of consistency before a quad/hip flexor injury sent his season spiraling in 2025. He's a two-time Pro Bowler, a second-team All-Pro, and accumulated five-straight seasons of more than 1,000 receiving yards entering the current campaign. McLaurin accomplished all this without a genuine franchise-caliber presence under center until Daniels came on board.
That should provide solace to Commanders fans and fantasy managers. But looking at the way Johnson performed when stepping in for Mariota in Week 16, the accuracy might not be anywhere close to what McLaurin needs to make plays consistently.
Time will tell on that. McLaurin, like everyone else, is trying to get through the next two weeks with some momentum and unscathed. After that, it's about working hard on his own to ensure he's ready to hit the ground running in 2025.
The Commanders are counting on it.