With Terry McLaurin dealing with a hamstring issue and Stefon Diggs now added to Washington’s injury list, the Commanders may be forced to lean on a receiver who has barely been asked to do much so far. That puts Treylon Burks in the spotlight, whether the situation was planned or not.
Burks has made his mark in flashes this season. He already has two touchdown catches, including a 47-yard score against the Indianapolis Colts in London.
The catch is that those touchdowns are two of just three receptions he’s recorded this year. If Washington needs him in a bigger role against the New York Giants, that number has to climb fast.
The path is there for Burks to become much more than a depth piece. The 2022 first-round pick out of Arkansas still carries the kind of upside that made him a premium draft choice in the first place, and this could be the moment Washington finds out whether he can handle being the main target. If McLaurin and Diggs can’t go, Burks would be the outside receiver tasked with facing top cornerback coverage and stretching the field.
Antonio Williams, a third-round rookie, has more targets and receptions than Burks this season, but he’s mostly worked from the slot early in his career. Burks is the bigger outside presence, the one who would be asked to take on the tougher assignments if the Commanders are short-handed at receiver. His speed gives Washington a way to attack downfield and create space underneath.
That need is only sharper because Jaylin Lane is already out for the season with an ankle fracture. If McLaurin and Diggs are both unavailable, Washington would be left with Williams, Burks, Dyami Brown and Luke McCaffrey to absorb the workload. That’s not ideal, but it is a better situation than the one the Commanders were in last year, when Chris Moore and Robbie Chosen were seeing targets.
Even with those injuries, somebody has to emerge as Jayden Daniels’ go-to option in his return, and Burks may be the one who gets that chance by default.
The talent has always been part of the appeal. Burks’ one-handed catch against the Denver Broncos last year was arguably the catch of the season by any player in the NFL. Washington saw enough to bring him back on a new one-year deal this offseason.
But consistency has been the missing piece. His early NFL years were tied to quarterbacks like Ryan Tannehill, Malik Willis and Will Levis, and injuries only made the climb harder. The Titans eventually moved on last fall.
In Washington, Burks is trying to reboot his career with better quarterback play than he has had before. Daniels and Marcus Mariota are the best passers he’s worked with, but with the receiving room suddenly stretched thin, the Commanders may need to find out quickly whether Burks can turn promise into production.
In Other News...
Commanders Enter Giants Showdown With One Huge Question Under Center
Washington is back home for a familiar kind of NFC East test, facing the Giants in its third division game in three weeks as it tries to keep pace in the standings. The Commanders also spent the week sorting through a long injury list, with six players ruled out, leaving little margin for error as they turn the page on another important game in the division.
Under center, the plan has been set for Sunday. Jayden Daniels will start at quarterback, with rookie Athan Kaliakmanis behind him on the depth chart, after Marcus Mariotas latest knee setback forced the team to adjust again at the game's most scrutinized position. For a Commanders team trying to improve its place in the NFC East, how long it can stay on that track is still the question hanging over the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Let A Wild Chance Slip Away In Frustrating Giants Tie
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For a team still searching for traction, the tie lands like a missed opening more than a consolation prize. Washington is now 1-3-1, a record that reflects how thin the margin has been in several of these early games, while the Giants moved to 3-1-1. The Commanders will be left sorting through how a game with so much in play still slipped through their hands when it mattered most. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Passing Game Suddenly Rests On Terry McLaurins Hamstring
Terry McLaurins hamstring has turned into one of the most important subplots of the Commanders Week 5 prep, with the receiver listed as questionable for Sundays game against the Giants. Washington also is already without Stefon Diggs, which leaves the passing game thinner than it would like at a time when every available target matters.
There is at least some optimism McLaurin will suit up after missing the Week 4 loss to Indianapolis, but even that does not come with a full workload expectation. If he is active, the Commanders appear likely to ease him back in with limited snaps, leaving his availability and effectiveness as separate questions heading into a division game that could use all the help it can get. [Read more 🡒]