Terry McLaurin has a torn patellar tendon in his left knee and will miss the rest of the season, Commanders coach Dan Quinn announced Tuesday, per ESPN. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that an MRI confirmed the tear. NFL Trade Rumors, citing Rapoport, said the MRI showed a significant knee injury that will require surgery and a long recovery. None of the reporting we have gives a surgery date or a return timeline.
Yahoo Sports described how it happened. McLaurin's knee gave out as he ran a route in Monday night's 23-17 loss to the 49ers, and he was carted off the field. NFL Trade Rumors put it in Week 6. McLaurin is 31, according to that outlet.
He had barely been involved before the injury. Our box score gives him one target in the game, a 27-yard catch that was the longest of his night. His season line is 14 catches for 203 yards and one touchdown on 26 targets in four games. His best game was Week 3 against Seattle, with six catches for 77 yards and a score on nine targets. The previous Sunday, against the Giants, he had four catches for 62 yards.
The loss leaves the Commanders at 1-4, fourth in the NFC East, with one loss in their last three games and a 27-27 draw with the Giants in between. They lost 30-13 to Indianapolis on Oct. 4. Washington threw for 261 yards against San Francisco on 29-of-40 passing, but averaged only 5.9 yards per pass after four sacks. It ran 17 times for 53 yards and went 3-for-12 on third down. Those figures show how much the offense leans on its passing game, and McLaurin is now out of it.
| GP | CMP | ATT | CMP% | YDS | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 |
The 49ers are 6-0 and lead the NFC West on a six-game winning streak. They won this one despite committing 11 penalties for 88 yards and losing a fumble. They play at Atlanta on Sunday, Oct. 25.
Washington's next game is at home against Philadelphia on Sunday, Nov. 1. That will be its first game without McLaurin. The sources we have don't say who will take his targets.
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