Two of the Commanders’ top three receivers still aren’t practicing with less than a week before roster cut-down day and just over two weeks until the season opener at home against the New York Giants.
Pro Bowler Terry McLaurin has been sidelined with an ankle injury as he conducts a “hold-in,” lobbying for a new contract while skipping training camp practices. The 29-year-old was removed from the team’s “physically unable to perform list” last week, and coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday that McLaurin was fully healthy.
He still hasn’t practiced with the team, though.
Noah Brown, who ranked second on the team in receiving yards per game, has missed most of the preseason activities with no return in sight.
Brown was carted off the practice field during June’s minicamp with a lower leg injury. He was a limited participant in early training camp sessions but has missed both preseason games and was absent from Wednesday’s practice.
Quinn would not provide firm return dates for either receiver, growing agitated with the constant questioning from the media and fans who are eager to see the pass-catchers take the field.
Concerns only grew when McLaurin did not attend Monday’s home preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals while other injured players watched from the sideline.
Quinn had little to say about McLaurin on Wednesday, outside of specifying that the receiver was recovering well from his injury.
“I’m not going to play ’Where’s Waldo,’” he said, unable or unwilling to say when McLaurin would hit the practice field. “He’s healthy, which is now a good step closer to being back on the field. So you’ll see that earlier than later. I don’t have a date circled on my whiteboard in my office, this day for him and this day for him.”
It is still unclear if either Brown or McLaurin will be ready for the regular-season opener.
Guards Sam Cosmi and Brandon Coleman have also missed both preseason exhibitions with injury and remain question marks in the final stretch of training camp. It’s led to a series of musical chairs on the offensive line as players like Andrew Wylie and Chris Paul have rotated through different positions.
“It’s not ideal, but I also know there’s a silver lining in the contingency plans that go along with that,” Quinn said. “When somebody’s out, the next person’s in; they get to do their thing. … When there’s some chances to move it around, guys have responded.”
Though Coleman returned to practice on Wednesday, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has been assembling his starting offense piecemeal.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels has been a constant. Every other position group has seen a steady rotation of different players due to injuries and contract negotiations.
For now, Kingsbury has said he can’t get a full grasp of what his offense will look like.
“It’s not going to really give you the chance to gel or really build that relationship until you get everybody else on the grass,” Kingsbury said last week. “We’re kind of at that point where we need to start getting those guys, when they’re available, out there and gelling and seeing where we are as an offense.”
Without Brown and McLaurin, reserve receivers like veteran Chris Moore and undrafted free agents Ja’Corey Brooks and Jacoby Jones have taken more snaps with Daniels and the first-team offense.
They haven’t impressed.
Even second-year receiver Luke McCaffrey seems to have missed out on a chance to carve out a meaningful role in the offense.
The off-field questions grew louder this week as the Commanders sat running back Brian Robinson Jr. as they pursue a potential trade for last year’s starting halfback. He was excused from Monday’s game and Wednesday’s practice.
“You control what we can control. We don’t always know what’s going on in reps and things like that, but when it’s our time, we control what we control,” veteran running back Austin Ekeler said. “We put our best foot forward, because that’s us building our resume.”
The Commanders will practice again on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s preseason finale at home against the Baltimore Ravens. Quinn and general manager Adam Peters will then have to cut the 91-man offseason roster down to 53 players by 4 p.m. on Tuesday.