The Washington Commanders have ruled out wide receiver Terry McLaurin for their Week 7 game against the Dallas Cowboys.
This will be the fourth consecutive game that McLaurin has missed this season.
There was optimism that McLaurin, who is dealing with a quad injury, could make his return this week when he practiced in a limited capacity on Wednesday. However, he did not participate on Thursday and was seen on the field without a helmet on Friday.
Although McLaurin is close to making a return, the injury has not yet improved enough.
“It’s frustrating for him, because he works hard,” head coach Dan Quinn said after Friday’s practice. “It’s just not ready yet, and that happens sometimes when you have a soft tissue injury and you want it to happen. But you have to push it full speed ahead.”
Commanders’ options as receiver have been limited for most of the month. With McLaurin sidelined and Noah Brown now on injured reserve, the team turned to second-year pro Luke McCaffrey and rookie Jaylin Lane for more production. McCaffrey has three touchdowns in the last four games, while Lane had a 37-yard catch Monday against the Chicago Bears. On the practice squad, the Commanders count veteran Robbie Chosen as well as undrafted free agents Ja’Corey Brooks and Jacoby Jones as candidates to be elevated to the game-day roster.
The Commanders also signed former first-round pick Treylon Burks to their practice squad Friday. Quinn said the team is excited to have Burks and has a plan in place for him, although he will need to become familiar with the offensive system before becoming a significant contributor.
Deebo Samuel has been the Commanders’ go-to option on offense with McLaurin and Brown out, although his status for Sunday’s game is questionable. He didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday because of a heel injury, but Quinn said he had a few reps Friday.
Asked after practice if he would play, Samuel said, “We’ll just have to see.”
There’s also a chance the Commanders get guard Sam Cosmi (knee) and cornerback Jonathan Jones (hamstring) back from the injured reserve list this weekend. Quinn said both players had a good week of practice, but did not reveal whether they would be placed on the active roster. Cosmi is nearing the end of his 21-day training window, while Jones has been earmarked to return to training this week. Both players are listed as questionable.
Defensive end Dorance Armstrong, who suffered a hamstring injury against the Bears, and tight end Zach Ertz (shoulder/calf) are listed as questionable. The remaining players on the roster, including Jayden Daniels, Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Ale Kaho, will be available.
