The Washington Commanders showcased their first-team offense for the entire first half of their preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night. The offense demonstrated a strong performance, with Sam Howell throwing for nearly 200 yards and two touchdowns. However, towards the end of the second quarter, there was a setback.
Terry McLaurin, the wide receiver, limped off the field with a foot injury after catching a pass over the middle from Howell. Frustrated, McLaurin slammed his shoe down on the sideline. Trainers examined his injury and later took him to the locker room. After halftime, it was announced that McLaurin had suffered a toe injury and would not return. Fortunately, X-rays showed no major damage, and the injury appears to be less severe than initially feared.
According to NFL Media reports, McLaurin is believed to have a toe sprain based on the initial diagnosis, and scans have shown no significant injury. The team expects him to be day-to-day and optimistically hopes he will be able to play in Week 1.
McLaurin is the top wide receiver for the Washington Commanders and is coming off an impressive season, where he caught 77 passes for 1,191 yards and five touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl selection. In his four NFL seasons, McLaurin has accumulated 299 receptions for 4,281 yards and 21 touchdowns.
While the news of McLaurin’s injury is positive, a potential absence would put a heavier workload on second-year wideout Jahan Dotson, as well as Curtis Samuel and Dyami Brown. Brown himself left the game on Monday night to be evaluated for a concussion. Dotson had a strong performance in the first half, catching 5 passes for 76 yards from Howell, while McLaurin had 3 catches for 39 yards before his exit.