Terry McLaurin hasn’t exactly lit up the first two weeks of the 2026 season, but the Commanders wideout isn’t sounding the alarm.
Through two games, McLaurin has just four catches for 64 yards. In Washington’s opener against the Eagles, he was held to two receptions for 14 yards and didn’t even record his first grab until the fourth quarter.
The Commanders tried to correct that in Week 2 against the Cowboys, feeding him nine targets in a game that still ended in another loss. McLaurin finished with two catches for 50 yards, but the box score doesn’t tell the whole story.
He came awfully close to a much bigger night. A questionable offensive pass interference call wiped out one big moment early.
A touchdown catch was taken away in the first half. Another scoring chance slipped through his hands.
Then, later on, Antonio Williams narrowly missed him on what would have been a wide-open touchdown in the end zone.
That kind of start usually invites concern, and Pro Football Focus added to the conversation this week by noting that McLaurin’s 30.8% catch rate is the lowest in the NFL through two weeks.
Still, McLaurin isn’t dwelling on it.
“I mean, everything is not necessarily clicking, but that’s football, that happens,” McLaurin said after Thursday’s practice. “I’m just trying to focus on my process and practice.
I know the plays will come; I’m not really too pressed, I’d say. Just trying to figure out how we can execute, and myself, just come down with some tough plays.
You know, there’s going to be highs and lows, so I don’t really ride it too much.”
That calm fits the situation. Washington has issues, but McLaurin isn’t one of them. He’s been in position to make several impact plays already, and while Jayden Daniels’ status is uncertain after the quarterback suffered a dislocated left (non-throwing) elbow just before halftime in Dallas, the Commanders do have a familiar fallback if Marcus Mariota is under center.
McLaurin and Mariota have logged plenty of snaps together, and in 2024 Mariota hit McLaurin for the game-winning touchdown against Dallas.
For now, the numbers look uneven. The workload looks better. And McLaurin sounds like a player expecting the production to follow.
In Other News...
Jayden Daniels Just Put Washington In A Tough Spot
Jayden Daniels left elbow injury has already changed the Commanders early-season plans, and not in a small way. After dislocating it in Week 2, the rookie quarterback will miss Week 3 and likely Week 4, leaving Washington to move forward with Marcus Mariota expected to start while the team tries to dig out of an 0-2 start.
What makes this situation harder is Daniels decision to avoid surgery and try the nonsurgical route in hopes of getting back this season. It is a choice that has prompted criticism from multiple NFL executives, who worry about the risks to his long-term health and financial future, and it leaves Washington hoping the short-term gamble does not become something more complicated as the season goes on. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Home Opener Brings One Real Chance To Stop This Slide
The home opener arrives with an unusual kind of urgency in Washington, where the Commanders are already staring at their first real checkpoint of the season. After losing Jayden Daniels, the offense has shifted to Marcus Mariota, and the pressure on the rest of the roster has only grown as the team looks for its first win of the year in Week 3 against Seattle.
For a defense that has talked about needing to create more disruption, this matchup offers a chance to help change the tone. The Seahawks bring their own uncertainty at quarterback because of Sam Darnolds injury, which gives Washington an opening to lean on pressure, chase turnovers and maybe finally give the home crowd something to build around. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Already Face A Secondary Decision Fans Will Be Watching
Early in the season, the Commanders are already weighing how much patience to show in the secondary and how quickly to adjust if the early issues continue. Defensive coordinator Daronte Jones said the staff has to sort through the reasons behind mistakes before making any personnel moves, whether the problem is communication, execution or something else entirely. That approach has left Washington working through different cornerback options and coverage looks as it tries to find the right mix on the back end.
One name to watch is Isaac Yiadom, the recent addition who could be active for the upcoming game against the Seahawks. His status adds another layer to a decision the Commanders seem willing to keep evaluating rather than rush, especially with the secondary still in a stage of experimentation. For a defense trying to settle in, the next few days may say as much about trust and roles as they do about the matchup itself. [Read more 🡒]