Terry McLaurin didn't go to injured reserve after suffering a disappointing complication during the Washington Commanders' victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3. However, there was obviously more to the injury than met the eye.
The wide receiver was initially diagnosed with a quad problem. McLaurin sought different opinions, which raised alarm bells. Ian Rapoport from the NFL Network revealed that it's more of a hip flexor issue, and the Commanders were going to continue with their cautious approach until there is 100 percent confidence in his health moving forward.
Head coach Dan Quinn was optimistic earlier in the week about McLaurin making his triumphant return in Week 6 against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. His presence hasn't been missed as much as fans thought, but the Commanders are a much better team when he's on the field.
Terry McLaurin won't be available for the Commanders in Week 6
It didn't take long for this optimism to diminish. McLaurin wasn't seen at practice over the first two days, aside from doing some stretching. All eyes were on Saturday's session to see if there would be any progress. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
McLaurin didn't do much of anything, which is no surprise. This sealed his fate, with the Commanders officially declaring him unavailable to suit up at Northwest Stadium with the primetime spotlight glaring.
This will be McLaurin's third consecutive absence, so the Commanders are already well versed in coping without the two-time Pro Bowl receiver. It's not ideal, but offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is adept at rolling with the punches and reacting accordingly.
The Commanders will be relying heavily on Deebo Samuel Sr. once again. Washington's ground game must set the tone, and Luke McCaffrey should also get chances to extend what's quickly becoming a breakout run.
As for McLaurin? It's a step-by-step process.
He'll go through another week of rehabilitation in the coming days, which will hopefully result in some more practice time heading into Washington's Week 7 game versus the Dallas Cowboys. He's ultra-competitive, so missing out will be intensely frustrating. But the Commanders are right to err on the side of caution with one of their franchise cornerstones.
The Ohio State product watching from the sidelines once again is not going to make things any easier this time out. But if McLaurin isn't available next week, either, one has to wonder why the Commanders didn't put him on injured reserve.
That's a conversation for another day.