Hogs Haven
Following a 57-yard catch on a pass from Marcus Mariota on Sunday versus the Raiders, Terry McLaurin was declared questionable to return with an injury and remained sidelined for the remainder of the game. However, he stayed in uniform and even jogged out onto the field to retrieve Luke McCaffrey’s touchdown ball. Dan Quinn did not give an update on his status in his Monday presser, but on Tuesday, Adam Schefter reported Terry was getting a second opinion and was uncertain for Sunday’s game. He did not practice Wednesday or Thursday, and on Friday Dan Quinn ruled him out for Sunday’s game, listing him as “week-to-week,” and there is currently no timetable for his return.
While the season-ending injuries to veterans Austin Ekeler and Deatrich Wise were significant, the loss of McLaurin cannot be overstated for a team that is thin on talented, proven wide receivers. Opinions may differ, but Terry is a top-tier-player and at this point in the season he cannot be replaced by an equally talented veteran without trading significant capital and cap space. In lieu of such a move, Adam Peters will most likely look to the talent currently on the roster or find other ways to manage things until McLaurin’s return. While Terry brings many things to the Washington Commanders, the most significant is a persistent and dangerous vertical threat that demands attention downfield.
In this article, we will evaluate potential replacements, some currently on Washington’s roster and some available on a fill-in basis:
The first place to look for a replacement would be on the current roster. As Washington’s current starting right side WR, Chris Moore gets top billing on the list. Unfortunately, that is because he is already replacing the team’s missing WR3, Noah Brown. Considered a long shot to make the roster before the season, the former Raven has been in the league for almost a full decade, and, as of this week, he has 141 career receptions for 1,769 receiving yards and 11 total TDs. That gives Moore a per-season average of 21 receptions, 266 yards, and 1 TD. While he is doing just fine as a WR3/4, it is hard to expect a significant bump in production at this point in his career, even with additional snaps on offense:
