Wide receiver Terry McLaurin will be active during the Washington Commanders’ primetime matchup against the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football, head coach Dan Quinn confirmed during Friday’s press conference.
This will be McLaurin’s first game at Northwest Stadium since injuring his quad in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
“He has worked hard,” Quinn said of McLaurin. “And so, to come back, work hard and come back after some disappointing days and tough conversations in the quiet moments, it’s huge.”
McLaurin’s return means the Commanders’ offense will regain the qualities the unit was missing in the wide receiver’s absence. Quinn highlighted McLaurin’s ability to catch explosive passes downfield – he called it McLaurin’s “superpower” – but also noted McLaurin’s effectiveness at running screen passes and intermediate routes.
Quinn is also excited for McLaurin to get a chance to recreate continuity between him and the rest of the offense. McLaurin has played in only one game since Week 3 – a 28–7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs – and recently returned to practice after the bye week. McLaurin had three catches for 54 yards against the Chiefs and scored the team’s only touchdown.
McLaurin said he felt better during his second comeback than his first. He doesn’t feel any stiffness in his quads and likes his speed while running. He’s eager to get back on the field, not only so he can help his team win, but also to see what an offense that has battled injuries all season might look like at full strength.
“The plan at the beginning of the season was for us all to be a part of this offense and make plays and feed off each other,” McLaurin said. “I think we’ll get a chance … hopefully we’ll be able to see it through, praying everyone stays healthy and can contribute.”
However, it will take a little longer for McLaurin to get back to the rest of his teammates. Quinn ruled out fellow wide receiver Noah Brown, quarterback Jaden Daniels and defensive end Drake Jackson for Sunday. The move to sit Daniels was expected, as Quinn said earlier in the week that while Daniels would practice, it was unlikely he would play. Quinn said Friday that Daniels had had a good week of work but was still not allowed to have contact.
Brown, who had a 21-day window open at the start of the week, will miss his 10th game of the season with groin and knee injuries. Quinn said Brown is close to being ready to go, giving Commanders another depth option in the passing game. Commanders still have two weeks before they can either activate Brown or return him to injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
Here’s the full injury report for the week:
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