Terry McLaurin out for the season with knee injury, and Dan Quinn assesses first-year coordinators

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Any path Washington had back to playoff contention will not include Terry McLaurin.

Washington’s veteran receiver tore his torn patellar tendon on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers and will miss the rest of the season, head coach Dan Quinn announced Tuesday.

“He’s a captain and one of our real leaders,” Quinn said. “And so, we’re all here to support him. That was certainly tough news.”

McLaurin was jostling with a cornerback in the first half the Commanders’ game last night when he fell to the ground in pain. He was carted off the field in an air cast and quickly ruled out.

Quinn said he feared the injury was serious right after the game.

“The concern is that it could be significant, but we’ll do the scans tomorrow,” Quinn said.

McLaurin signed a three-year, $96 million contract extension before the start of the 2025 season, making him the Commanders’ most expensive pass catcher.

But since then, McLaurin has been in and out of the lineup.

He missed seven games last year due to injury and had his worst professional season, tallying just 582 yards. His previous low was 919 yards as a rookie.

This season, he already missed time with a hamstring strain he suffered in practice. In five games this year, he totaled 230 yards and averaged 46 yards per game. That was the lowest average of his career — already raising concerning about his fit in Washington’s new offense.

“It just sucks because you see how hard he works,” quarterback Jayden Daniels said. “He’s been there for me through a lot since I came into this league and obviously the adverse times I went through last year, and so far this year, he’s been right by my side. I love Terry, man. He’s a brother to me, and I appreciate him a lot.”

Washington is 1-4-1 and two games behind in their division.

They have a bye week next and return to play the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 1.

“We have had a season of adversity in six games,” Quinn said. “So the reset, the response is what I am most looking forward to.”

McLaurin’s injury continues a string of significant setbacks for Washington this year. Daniels missed two weeks with a dislocated elbow. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs missed time with a hamstring issue. And newly signed tight end Chig Okonkwo just returned after an hamstring strain of his own.

Quinn weighs in on Blough and Jones

After a dismal start to the season, Quinn said Washington is still struggling to find its offensive identity under first-year coordinator David Blough as the team heads into November.

“I am very much looking forward to finding more things that we can absolutely hang our hat on day in, day out, over and over,” he said.

Quinn added that he’d “love to see more explosive plays” from the offense.

Washington will spend its bye week trying to find answers for why the offense has not clicked. The unit ranks 19th in yards pre game (325.2), 21st in points scored (22.0) and 31st in third-down production (30% conversion rate).

“What makes us more decisive? What makes us more exacting in things?” Quinn said. “And sometimes that can mean streamlining, ‘These are the eight things, 10 things that we’re gonna, like hit over and over.’”

“As the first part of the season goes, there is some trial and error,” he later added. “But now that we are this far along, no more trial. Like, ‘This is how we want to get down.’”

Quinn also said he wanted more out of defensive coordinator Daronte Jones.

Washington ranks 29th in points allowed (28.7) and 25th in third-down defense. They are last in red zone success rate, according to Sharp Football Analysis.

“I think number one, it always like it’s the pre-snap, can you win at that?” Quinn said. “And that can mean urgency, call selection, and getting these guys’ cleats in the grass to go play decisively and fast.”

He added that he likes the run defense but, “there’s been too many explosive plays [against Washington] for me in the pass game to make consistently good defense quarter after quarter, drive after drive.”