The Washington Commanders have ruled out wide receiver Terry McLaurin for their Week 7 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.
It will be the fourth consecutive game McLaurin has missed this season.
There was optimism that McLaurin, who has been 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 closer to making a return, the injury has not improved enough yet.
“It’s frustrating for him, because he’s working at it hard,” head coach Dan Quinn said after Friday’s practice. “It’s just not ready yet, and that sometimes happens when you have a soft tissue injury and you’re wanting it to get there. But you have to push it at the top speeds.”
The Commanders’ options at receiver have been limited for the better part of a month. With McLaurin sidelined and Noah Brown now on Injured Reserve, the team has 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 on Monday against the Chicago Bears. On the practice squad, the Commanders have veteran Robbie Chosen as well as undrafted free agents Ja’Corey Brooks and Jacoby Jones as candidates to be elevated to the gameday roster.
The Commanders also signed former first-round pick Treylon Burks to their practice squad on Friday. Quinn said the team is excited to have Burks and has a plan in place for him, although he will need to get up to speed on the offensive system before being a meaningful 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 did not practice Wednesday or Thursday with a heel injury, but Quinn said he did get some reps on Friday.
When asked after practice whether he would play, Samuel said, “We’ll just have to see.”
There is also a chance the Commanders will get both 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 put on the active roster. Cosmi is nearing the end of his 21-day practice window, while Jones was designated for return to practice 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 list, including Jayden Daniels, Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Ale Kaho, will be available.
