Hogs Haven
A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, and a sprinkling of other stuff
Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin did not participate in the team’s voluntary offseason program Wednesday, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports.
McLaurin had been a full participant previously, per Schultz, so it is unclear whether his absence was related to his desire for a contract extension.
The start of Phase 3 of the program next week will give a better indication about whether McLaurin is making a statement.
McLaurin skipped the voluntary offseason program in 2022 before the sides agreed to a three-year, $69.6 million deal in early July.
HBO and the NFL announced on Wednesday that the NFC East will be focus of the in-season version of “Hard Knocks,” which will debut in December. It is the second year that HBO and the NFL have featured an entire division, with the AFC North being the main attraction in 2024.
New episodes featuring the Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants will stream on HBO Max every Tuesday in December and continue into the playoffs in 2026.
The Buffalo Bills will be the focus for this year’s training camp edition of “Hard Knocks.”
Prior to the announcement, the Commanders were one of seven teams to not be featured on “Hard Knocks,” which began in 2001 with the Baltimore Ravens. It will be the first appearance for the Eagles, who are still fresh off their Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Cowboys have been on “Hard Knocks” three times, the most recent coming in 2021. The Giants have never been part of the training camp edition of the show but were featured on the offseason edition in 2024.
The decision by the NFL and HBO to feature the NFC East, which has not had a repeat winner since 2004, is the latest example of the Commanders getting more room in the national spotlight. They were given eight standalone games for the 2025 season, including matchups on Christmas Day and in the first-ever game to be played in Spain. They also have five primetime games, which is tied for the second-most in the league this year.
Instead of signing big names in free agency, the Commanders’ GM opted to go out and spend some capital to get some, bringing in receiver Deebo Samuel and offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil in the process.
While there are mixed opinions about what Washington is getting with those two, there’s another trade acquisition who might present the team with its biggest roster decision of 2025, at least according to [Sports...
