With Terry McLaurin out for the season, the Washington Commanders are not planning to simply hand Stefon Diggs a bigger slice of the offense and call it a day.
Head coach Dan Quinn made that clear after the bye week, pushing back on the idea that Diggs would suddenly be asked to carry McLaurin’s missing workload. Washington’s approach, at least for now, is to keep Diggs in the same lane and lean on other pieces to absorb the hit.
Dan Quinn said Stefon Diggs' workload won't change much in Terry McLaurin's absence. Rather, the team would look to others to step up, primarily Antonio Williams.
- Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 26, 2026
That doesn’t mean Diggs is going anywhere. The four-time Pro Bowler is still the most proven wideout on the roster outside McLaurin, and he remains the guy Washington can trust when the pressure spikes.
Jayden Daniels will still be looking his way in the biggest moments. But the Commanders aren’t interested in piling on extra snaps just because the depth chart got thinner.
That caution makes sense. Diggs is almost 33, and Washington has already been managing his usage carefully.
He’s playing 60 percent of the snaps, a number that appears to be the ceiling for now. The team wants him productive, not worn down.
There’s also the matter of the hamstring injury that has lingered in the background. Diggs returned against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football, and the bye week gave him more time to rest. Even so, the Commanders don’t sound ready to turn him into a full-time WR1 workload machine.
McLaurin’s absence is still the central problem, of course. The Commanders have been keeping the conversation focused on internal options, but the picture is still shifting.
Quinn’s comments pointed most directly to third-round rookie Antonio Williams as the likeliest beneficiary, while Treylon Burks could also see more targets. Tight end Chig Okonkwo is carving out a larger piece of the passing game, too.
Still, none of that changes where the money plays are likely to go. When Washington needs a critical catch, Diggs remains the first answer. His veteran presence matters, his production matters, and his knack for coming through in tight spots matters even more now that McLaurin is gone.
The Commanders are trying to stretch what they have over the next 11 games, and Diggs is still a major part of that equation. Just not in the way many expected.
In Other News...
Commanders Add Intriguing Edge Depth As Position Shuffle Continues
Washington added another name to its edge rotation by signing defensive end Kyle Kennard to the practice squad, a move that fits the kind of ongoing shuffle teams make as they sort out depth late in the season. Kennard arrives with some NFL experience already on his ledger, having appeared in five games after the Chargers took him in the fourth round of the 2025 draft.
It is also a reminder that the Commanders are still looking for useful pieces at a position where health and availability can change the picture quickly. Kennard had his playing time slowed by injuries before getting cut loose in Los Angeles, and Washington is betting there is still something to mine there as it keeps turning over options on the edge. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders May Be Heading Toward A Daron Payne Decision Fans Dread
Washingtons rough start and the shape of the division have pushed the Commanders into the kind of midseason conversation no team wants to have, with the trade deadline looming and the possibility that they could act like sellers. In that context, Daron Payne has emerged as a name worth watching. The defensive tackle remains one of the more prominent pieces on the roster, and with his contract situation adding another layer to the discussion, he is suddenly sitting at the center of a decision that could shape both the present and the near future.
CBS Sports analyst Jared Dubin recently listed Payne among his top 25 trade candidates, which only adds to the intrigue around what Washington might do before the deadline. If the Commanders decide they are more interested in draft capital than a short-term push, Payne becomes one of the clearest players who could draw attention. For a fan base that would rather see core talent stay put, the idea of moving him is an unsettling one, and it leaves this as one of the more uncomfortable storylines to follow over the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels Just Became A Real Commanders Debate
Jayden Daniels second season has not matched the electric promise of his rookie year, and the reasons are as much about availability as performance. Injuries have limited his time on the field, which has only sharpened the conversation around how Washington should view its young quarterback as the team tries to build around him.
The debate now goes beyond weekly production and into bigger roster questions, with outside speculation already attaching itself to Daniels future and the looming contract picture. Minnesota has been mentioned in that swirl, and with no official decisions or transactions on the books, the Commanders are left with a familiar NFL tension: whether to stay patient with a talented quarterback or let the noise around him keep growing. [Read more 🡒]