ASHBURN, Va. — Terry McLaurin is ready for his close-up — take two.
The Washington Commanders’ wide receiver didn’t plan for his return to practice to coincide with NFL Films fully setting up camp at the team facility. Camera crews showed up at times throughout the summer and season, but they’re now embedded in the building ahead of the upcoming series, “Hard Knocks: In Season with the NFC East.”
“Welcome to NFL Films, who’ll be with us for a while,” head coach Dan Quinn said during Wednesday’s media session. “If anybody’s interested in a cameo, let me know. I know a guy.”
With all due respect, this week isn’t about background players. Not with McLaurin catching passes from quarterback Jayden Daniels during the dynamic pass-game combo’s first practice together since Week 2. For a season filled with too many unwatchable moments – Washington enters Thanksgiving week with a 3-8 record and a humbug six-game losing streak – this finally defines must-see TV.
Daniels, recovering from a dislocated elbow, is “unlikely” to play in Sunday night’s home game against the Denver Broncos. McLaurin received the green light from a lingering quad injury initially suffered on September 21 that sidelined him for seven games and eight of the past nine weeks.
The two-time Pro Bowler shone in a truncated cameo during a Monday night loss at Kansas City on October 27, and then, with the quad flaring up, sat out an additional four weeks.
“I plan to play as much as I can and as much as they’ll allow me to,” McLaurin said. “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 a confidence about myself.”
McLaurin’s challenging season began with a thud, skipping training camp during a contract dispute. Then he went down at the end of a season-long 56-yard reception against the Raiders, diving for the end zone but stopped at the one-yard line. McLaurin scored a touchdown against the Chiefs, but the quad injury resurfaced on another acrobatic reception.
The 2024 second-team All-Pro shared that he harbors no regrets about returning when he did in October, but stated he feels better now than he did before his first comeback. McLaurin has run at full speed for consecutive days over the past two weeks without experiencing tightness. He credited a laser Daniels pass for helping him clock 21 mph during practice.
“I feel like my acceleration is there,” McLaurin said. “Just kind of like that next gear that I have, and I’m just not really thinking about it at all. I definitely feel better this time around, and the ramp-up process has been really good.”
Daniels and McLaurin were officially “limited” in practice. So was Noah Brown, Washington’s other Week 1 starting outside receiver, who has not played since going out with a groin injury in Week 2. Safety Will Harris is also set to play against the AFC West leaders after missing eight games with a broken fibula.
For a team that has been decimated by injuries, the sight of these players together gave Quinn an extra shot of optimism.
“For me as a coach, having a full crew — who can practice, man, like that’s exciting,” Quinn said.
NFL Films surely agrees.
