The second year of superstar Jayden Daniels with the Washington Commanders has gotten off to a sputtering start. Not only has the offense not been as prolific as last season, but injuries have ravaged their roster from top to bottom. With Daniels himself missing games, it is no wonder that a slow start has resulted in Washington sitting at 2-2 four weeks into the 2025 season.
It’s not just Daniels, though, whose injury has caused problems for Washington. Another major blow came in the form of their recently re-signed superstar wide receiver, Terry McLaurin. A quad injury has been bothering him for weeks, leaving his status in jeopardy when the Commanders face off against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 5.
What Happened to Terry McLaurin?
A third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, McLaurin was excellent for Washington right out of the gate. Coming in as a rookie and recording 919 receiving yards was no easy task. But his numbers have continually been fantastic since then.
Tallying 1,000 yards in the next five seasons, he earned two Pro Bowl selections and an All-Pro nod for the Commanders. Last year, as they went through their remarkable transformation, he was a major component of the change.
Not only did he tally 1,096 receiving yards, but he also hauled in an absurd 13 touchdowns. However, the team wasn’t able to reach a contract extension with him easily. As negotiations dragged on, McLaurin chose not to report to the start of training camp.
After seeking a trade, he finally locked in a new deal with Washington worth three years and $96 million. One of the biggest selling points for McLaurin was his health. Suiting up in all 17 games over the last four seasons, he had become a model of consistency in the league.
However, that streak came to an end in 2025. During a Week 3 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, McLaurin suffered a quad injury while trying to lunge for a 57-yard touchdown reception.
Over the course of the week, it became clear that his injury was more severe than previously anticipated, and the superstar wide receiver sought the opinions of medical experts like Dr. William Meyers.
As he failed to practice even once in the lead-up to Week 4, the Commanders chose to sit him out against the Atlanta Falcons. The result was immediate, as the team failed to execute offensively, leading to their second loss of the year.
McLaurin did not practice on Wednesday and was officially ruled out of the Week 5 game against the Chargers. “Commanders now have ruled out WR Terry McLaurin, WR Noah Brown and G Sam Cosmi for Sunday’s game vs. the Chargers,” wrote NFL insider Adam Schefter. “None of those players are traveling with the team to Los Angeles today.”
