Terry McLaurin’s frustrating season of stop-and-start returns came down to a single awkward landing in Kansas City. After five weeks on the sideline, Terry McLaurin’s return isn’t just about getting back on the field. It’s about salvaging a season. But the star receiver revealed the setback against the Kansas City Chiefs was one awkward moment away from being much worse.

“McLaurin said he has no regrets about returning when he did the first time. He hit all his marks and felt good,” Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic recently shared. “Just got in an awkward position laying out for the 25-yard catch in KC.”

The moment Terry McLaurin referenced came from that same matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. After returning from a quad injury that had sidelined him for four games, McLaurin delivered the Washington Commanders’ lone highlight of the night with a perfect toe-tap touchdown in the second quarter. But in the fourth quarter, he appeared to re-aggravate that same quad, forcing him to leave the game early in what became a 28–7 loss.

Jhabvala’s tweet was a follow-up on her previous update, where she quoted McLaurin saying he felt much “really good” this time compared to his first return in Week 8. In his statement, the third-round pick also highlighted that the tightness had faded and he could feel his acceleration returning. McLaurin admitted he’s no longer overthinking every movement and wants to be out there giving it his all.

The wide receiver hasn’t played since the game against the Chiefs because of a lingering quad injury. He first sustained the injury on an impressive 56-yard catch during the Week 3 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He exited the game after that reception and even missed a few games until Week 8. 

Fast forward to five weeks later, and the Ohio State alum could be ready for a fresh restart in Week 13 against the Denver Broncos. 

Terry McLaurin gears up for first game in a month

McLaurin is finally ready to step on the field again. The Commanders currently sit third in the NFC East with a 3-8 record and bleak playoff hopes. Currently, the franchise’s offense is struggling as multiple big players remain sidelined. But some of these names are finally ready to step back. Recently, head coach Dan Quinn let out some positive news about a return for receivers like McLaurin and Noah Brown.

In the conference before the game, Quinn initially answered in the affirmative when talking about how both players were cleared for the game. But a split second later, he corrected himself.

“I don’t know…they’re practising,” Quinn immediately clarified.

While this wasn’t an official confirmation, it did signal positivity around the return. The Commanders’ injury woes are finally improving as these injured players returned to practice in a limited capacity on Wednesday. In fact, McLaurin himself expressed his desire to return recently.

“I plan to play as much as I can and as much as they’ll allow me to,” McLaurin said on Wednesday. “It’s really encouraging to hear from my teammates and coaches that they don’t feel like I’ve missed a step. I just have confidence about myself.”

This season has been disappointing for McLaurin. He had a slow start with just 10 catches for 149 yards and no touchdowns in the first three games. So, this return could be a real turning point for the wide receiver. With a 9-2 Broncos team waiting under the prime-time lights in Week 13, Washington needs every spark it can find. Terry McLaurin will want to be fully healthy and ready to elevate his game to give the Commanders a fighting chance.

Before the next kickoff, it is worth looking at how leadership in the NFL shapes high-pressure moments. That is where Champ Bailey’s thoughts on Sean Payton’s influence come in.