The Washington Commanders are staring at a wide receiver problem after losing Terry McLaurin to a torn patellar tendon, and general manager Adam Peters has to sort through the options quickly. McLaurin is out for the rest of 2026, if not longer, so the team now has to decide how it wants to patch the hole.
There are a few ways Washington could go. Peters could stay put, look for a veteran free agent, work out a trade, or try to steal help from another team’s practice squad. That last route brings Cedric Tillman into focus.
Tillman has already bounced around this season, and he might be exactly the kind of short-term answer Washington needs to consider. He was steady, though not especially flashy, across his first three NFL seasons with the Cleveland Browns, even while dealing with injuries.
This summer, he didn’t do enough to lock up a 53-man roster spot, with the Browns having invested draft picks in Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion. The New Orleans Saints then added him to their practice squad, and he has already been elevated twice this season.
If the Saints want to use him again, they would have to sign him to the active roster. That may be where the Commanders can pounce if New Orleans hesitates.
At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Tillman brings the kind of size that can cause problems for defenses if he’s used the right way. He’s also in football shape after playing two games this season and handling a full workload over the summer and in practice. For a team looking for help without committing to something long term, that matters.
Washington does have internal options. Van Jefferson Jr. or Jaden Bradley could be brought up from the practice squad, and both already know the system. That makes them simpler choices than chasing someone on another team’s practice squad.
Still, Tillman offers a different kind of appeal. The 2023 third-round pick out of Tennessee has the physical traits teams want in a receiver.
The production hasn’t fully matched the profile yet, but he’s only 26 and still has room to grow. For a Commanders offense suddenly without McLaurin, that makes him worth a look.
Of course, no move replaces McLaurin. He’s a franchise cornerstone who delivers on the field and sets the tone in the locker room, and Washington will feel that loss everywhere. Somebody else has to raise their level now.
The next two games after the bye should tell us more about where this team is headed. But in the immediate aftermath of McLaurin’s injury, Tillman could at least help soften the blow. And if Washington can work something out before the Saints have a chance to put him on their active roster, that’s a gamble worth taking.
Maybe it goes nowhere. Maybe the Commanders simply ride with what they’ve got and hope it holds. At 1-4-1, bold is a tough sell.
Even so, Washington wouldn’t have much to lose by seeing whether Tillman’s size and athleticism can fit into David Blough’s schematic concepts. And when Luke McCaffrey and Dyami Brown aren’t doing much to inspire confidence in the rotation, the case for taking a shot gets a little stronger.
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For Washington, the bigger takeaway is that Chaissons production has come in a relatively short sample, with 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles through six games. The Commanders have been looking for more consistent splash from their pass rush, and Chaissons recent stretch at least gives them a player who is finding ways to affect the ball as well as the quarterback. Whether he can keep that pressure coming is the next question, especially with the defense still trying to establish a steadier identity. [Read more 🡒]
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One of the clearest questions centers on the interior of the defensive line, where Tim Settle Jr. has not delivered the kind of start Washington needed. The Commanders have already been searching for better answers at nose tackle, and the next step may involve a more fluid rotation there as the staff looks for more impact and steadiness in the middle. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels Still Has One Costly Issue Commanders Can't Ignore
Jayden Daniels has given the Commanders plenty to like early in his NFL career, but the last two games also offered a reminder that even the most promising young quarterbacks get tested by the details. Against the Giants, Washington had a late-game mistake that left points on the field, and against the 49ers there was a play call that drew plenty of second-guessing. Dan Quinn has been open about those moments, treating them as part of the learning curve while making it clear the conversation with his quarterback has already started.
For Washington, the bigger concern is not Daniels talent but how quickly the operation around him cleans up the situational stuff that can swing tight games. Quinn has stressed development and communication, and Daniels overall play still points to a franchise quarterback in the making. Even so, the Commanders are watching closely because the margin for error shrinks fast when a team is trying to turn promise into wins. [Read more 🡒]