The Washington Commanders have activated wide receiver Terry Mclaurin off the Physically Unable to Perform list, marking the next step toward him being ready to return to the field.
McLaurin will go through a ramp-up process to get ready for his debut. He was ruled out of participation for the Monday Night Football preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“We’ve got a real process in our return to play that we believe in,” Quinn said. “We know it works, and we’ll hit all those steps as well.”
With three weeks until the Commanders’ 2025 season opener against the New York Giants at Northwest Stadium, Quinn said it was “important” for McLaurin to get him prepared for the game. McLaurin was not on the field for the team’s final practice before its matchup with the Bengals, which is part of Washington’s recovery plans for McLaurin.
Quinn added that the move to activate McLaurin is not related to the ongoing contract negotiations between him and the team.
“Definitely separate,” Quinn said. “This is about him getting ready to play, which is honestly awesome. It’s just cool seeing him get closer, because now you know [that] steps are getting closer to return to being on the field.”
In addition to being unavailable for the Bengals game, Quinn cast doubt on whether McLaurin would be available for the preseason finale against the Baltimore Ravens because of how little time is between the two games. However, assuming he is able to hit all his markers, McLaurin could be available for Week 1.
Quinn also confirmed that many of the starters would see action against the Bengals, although it won’t be much. He said that quarterback Jayden Daniels will play “a few series.” It is unlikely the Commanders will play many of their starters in the finale against the Ravens, which means this will be the only game reps Daniels will receive prior to the Week 1 opener.
There is seemingly a report every day about McLaurin and the Commanders, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler offered the latest on Friday.
“From what I’m hearing, there’s still a pretty sizable gap in how they see the wide receiver market,” Fowler said. “Washington’s down here, Terry McLaurin’s pretty high up here. I’m told the player is dug in, remains frustrated, not a lot of traction on a trade right now, even though I do know there are some teams that are interested, or have at least called. But right now, I’m told Washington does remain optimistic in this despite some of the smoke around all of the issues, and him still out of practice. They feel like, when push comes to shove, closer to Week 1, they can reach some sort of compromise. It’s probably not going to be a situation where he plays out the year on his contract and plays on the franchise tag next year. Like, he needs some sort of contract. They are hoping they can find a sweet spot here, but they’re sort of waiting each other out, and meanwhile, this could get ugly.”
Will Harris Adds Versatility and Edge
While Martin represents the future of the position, Harris brings an immediate edge with his experience and adaptability. Signed this offseason, Harris has already turned heads with his ability to cover one-on-one and battle with some of Washington’s top receiving threats. Quinn described the duels between Harris and tight end Zach Ertz as some of the most competitive in camp.
“Will has brought a very good dimension for us in covering and playing man-to-man. I love seeing the battles with him and Zach. There’s leverage and working, they really challenge one another. I’ve grown to really appreciate the different skills that Will brings and how we can feature him,” Quinn said.
A Group Built on Standards and Competition
The Commanders added depth this week, adding Daryl Worley, further strengthening a safety group that Quinn said has “excellent standards.” With players like Martin, Harris, Reaves, Tyler Owens, and now Worley, the team has a blend of youth and veteran savvy that gives the defense balance.
“Our safety group is one of our spots that we’re really proud of because of the work they put in. They have excellent standards. As a group that’s one of the spots man. I love the way they work and the way they compete,” Quinn said.
Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt was more than willing to name one Washington Commander who is earning more playing time in 2025.
When Whitt was asked about safety, Jeremy Reaves, he didn’t hesitate, “Yeah, he’s earned the right now to be that third safety type of player where you’ll see him in there more. He’s such a special-teams ace that it’s hard to just play him full-time on defense because he’s so important to special teams. But he just keeps making plays, making plays. So, we’re going to find plays for him on defense, and he’s earned that. He’s always around the ball, his physicality is unmatched. And so, I’ve been very pleased with what he’s done this camp.”
Here are two really nice, aggressive, and decisive plays by Reaves during last week’s preseason opener in New England:
NFL.com writer Kevin Patra thinks Luvu could make his first Pro Bowl appearance this season.
“Initially, I’d dismissed Luvu, assuming he’d already made a Pro Bowl at some point. I was wrong. Spending your years with the struggling Jets and Panthers — never playing on a team with a winning record — will keep you off of most people’s radars,” Patra wrote.
”The pest of a linebacker remains an underrated playmaker, even after he helped turn the Commanders around in Dan Quinn’s first season in D.C. Luvu is more than just the guy who kept jumping offsides against the tush push in the NFC Championship Game. He is a pigskin bloodhound, constantly around the ball, racking up sacks, tackles and pressures, annoying offensive linemen and ball-carriers alike with his tenacity and spirited play.
“He’s the type of player who, when he’s on your squad, you love to death. If he’s an opponent, you loathe him. From the standpoint of a neutral onlooker, he’s a joy to watch. I’d also love to see him play dodgeball in the Pro Bowl Games.”
I was expecting to see a lot more from Chris Moore (no pun intended), but he left a lot of opportunities on the field. The passing game struggles through QB Sam Hartman, but he gave Moore two great passes that he couldn’t catch.
One was a 3rd down pass up the middle that hit him right in the hands with no coverage on him, and the other was about a 35-yard dime that he couldn’t hold onto going to the ground. He’s been solid in practice, but he’s going down my depth chart.
The 26-year-old offensive tackle is sitting as the backup left tackle, and the Commanders still have a move to make on the offensive line. I’ve had hopes for Sarell behind veteran Laremy Tunsil, but the team showed that they’re ready to make a move if needed.
The Commanders hosted veteran offensive tackles George Fant and Cam Fleming earlier this week, and there’s mutual interest with the two, and they will keep in contact. This could be a sign for Sarell to perform to protect his spot.
QB Jayden Daniels & Legend Champ Bailey Join the Show + DB Breakdown | Command Center
The Eagles became Super Bowl champions on a foundation based in culture—a winning ethos built on talent, effort, intelligence and attitude.
None of those traits collectively surfaced this past week.
The Eagles concluded a bad week of practice with a poor effort against the visiting Cleveland Browns on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field, which translated into a pretty ugly 22-13 preseason loss.
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson was, well, awful. He may have taken a step back in the race for the No. 3 quarterback spot behind rookie Kyle McCord, who was credible.
But it was pretty bad everywhere. The Browns piled up 331 yards of total offense, while the Eagles finished with a scant 88 yards. Cleveland, which did very well in the two-day joint practices against the Eagles’ ones, converted nine of 16 third-down attempts and averaged 5.3 yards a play to the Eagles’ meager 2.0—and one offensive touchdown.
Cowboys relying on Joe Milton and Miles Sanders could be a mistake
Sanders is fresh off a terrible two-year stint with the Carolina Panthers in which he proved to be wholly inferior to Chuba Hubbard. Dallas has two rookies in Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah, who will likely be licking their lips when they see Sanders struggle to put his foot down.
Milton certainly played well in his one-game debut with the New England Patriots, but he has looked a bit out of sorts in extended action. The arm is always going to be there, but the lack of accuracy and ability to sense pressure could be quite concerning for anyone expecting him to take a developmental step forward.
The Cowboys are not going to have their season defined by the performance of a few backups against other backups in the preseason, but both Milton and Sanders are showing how touchy it will be for Dallas in the 2025 season if either of them gets extended action.
The Dallas Cowboys reportedly fear that wide receiver Jonathan Mingo suffered a PCL injury in his right knee during Saturday’s preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. ESPN’s Todd Archer reported the news.
Archer notes that an MRI is set for Mingo for Sunday and obviously that will determine the exact severity of any hypothetical injury, but that this is the initial fear certainly isn’t good.
Not really. Not for the moment. Tonight, though, here’s what we saw:
- Russell Wilson started and played into the second quarter. Midway through the second quarter, we got our first “moon ball.” It was delivered beautifully to Beaux Collins for an 80-yard gain down to the 1-yard line, with Devin Singetary subsequently taking it in for the touchdown. Wilson tried Collins again later, but that ball was intercepted in the end zone, most likely due to Collins reading the safety incorrectly. The Giants have a long and proud history of quarterbacks who loved the deep ball, from Charlie Conerly, Y.A. Tittle, and Fran Tarkenton through to Eli Manning. It’s been years, though, since we saw the Giants open things up on offense, except when Tyrod Taylor was in the game.
- Jaxson Dart entered the game midway through the second quarter. He had no spectacular plays, throwing mostly short (4.1 ADOT) passes, but he looked fully in command of the offense, making quick reads and good decisions. Dart completed 14 of 16 passes for 137 yards and a TD to tight end Greg Dulcich. Of course Sauce Gardner wasn’t out there, but you can only play against the guys who are. He won’t start in Week 1. Maybe he won’t start until Week 18 if Wilson has a successful season. We haven’t seen anything, though, to suggest that the Giants made a mistake moving up to draft him.
Virtual measurements — The NFL’s new virtual measurement system for first downs was used in the first quarter. It is weird, and seemed to take longer than it should while everyone stood around and waited. It was cool, though, to find out that the measurement had the Jets one inch — yes, one inch — from a first down.
Asked after the game whether Dart could be in the starting quarterback conversation, Giants head coach Brian Daboll said Russell Wilson has already been given the job.
“Russ is our starter and we’re going to keep developing Jaxson,” Daboll said. “Jaxson’s just got to continue to work to get better, and we’ve got to help him get better. . . . What we’re trying to do is help Jaxson be the best quarterback he can be. Just like all the quarterbacks. Just like every player on the team.”
Baltimore Ravens 31, Dallas Cowboys 13
Joe Milton III is stuck in neutral. The second-year passer followed up a rough preseason debut with an even uglier showing Saturday. He completed just 2 of 8 passes for 14 yards in the first half and threw another interception on a deep end-zone shot launched into double coverage — his second such pick thrown in as many weeks. Dallas’ offense couldn’t get anything going throughout the first half, and Milton routinely sailed passes over intermediate targets, finding success only on short bullets. Fortunately, Milton (9-of-18, 122 yards, INT) isn’t seeking the starting job, but if Dallas finds itself in the same unfortunate position it was in after Dak Prescott’s hamstring injury last season, it might be in deep trouble.
New York Giants 31, New York Jets 12
Giants’ QB picture crystallizes. Russell Wilson, the Giants’ presumptive QB1 come Week 1, got his second straight preseason start in his MetLife Stadium debut. The 36-year-old veteran showcased his trademark deep shot on an 80-yard moonball to UDFA receiver Beaux Collins in the first quarter, setting Big Blue up for an early score. That could’ve been it for Wilson, who has little to prove to the coaching staff. But the Giants left Wilson in to start a fourth (!) drive, only to replace the 10-time Pro Bowler with rookie Jaxson Dart after one play — and for one play. After Dart connected with Theo Johnson for a 30-yard screen, Wilson came back, trying another deep ball two plays later and misfiring into the waiting arms of Qwan’tez Stiggers. The okey-doke was confusing in the moment. (Will New York regularly swap out QBs mid-drive? Why replace Dart after a plus play?) The rookie then showed out in the second half, throwing fearlessly into the middle of the field and flashing mobility on two scoring drives (13-of-14 passing for 107 yards, one TD pass, one TD run). Though it may not say so in the team’s depth chart, Dart, not Jameis Winston, is New York’s sure-fire QB2 and starter in waiting. When Big Blue stops playing around with the rookie — and lets him see more first-team action — that will become clear.
Cleveland Browns 22, Philadelphia Eagles 13
Have a day, Andrew Mukuba. Because of time missed in camp, the rookie safety from Texas seemed to have lost too much ground to Sydney Brown in the battle for the starting safety job prior to Saturday. One day filled with standout play, however, might have changed the equation. Mukuba only finished with one tackle but registered two takeaways, including an interception he returned for a touchdown made possible only by his refusal to give up on the play. Fittingly, when Gabriel and Pierre Strong botched a handoff, Mukuba magnetically found the loose ball and recovered it in Browns territory. At minimum, the Eagles saw some examples of what they envisioned when they spent the 64th pick on Mukuba.
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