Washington Commanders star wide receiver Terry McLaurin says the ongoing outside drama with his boss Dan Snyder is difficult to ignore at this point, but that the team can stop it from affecting their play on Sundays.
Snyder and the Commanders are at the center of investigations by the league, Congress and several regional attorney generals over alleged sexual misconduct and financial improprieties.
Congress is expected to release their findings soon, but what has kept the Commanders owner in the spotlight recently are reports about some of his contemporaries plotting to push him out of the fraternity of league owners. The situation continues to leave a dark cloud over the organization, and the fact that the team has started the season 2-4 has done nothing to change the negative narrative surrounding it.
The situation is hard to avoid if you are a member of the organization and McLaurin admitted to the Washington Post's Barry Svrluga that the whole thing is hard to avoid. However, the one thing players can do is not allow the drama to have an effect on how they conduct business on the field.
“I think [the situation is] tough for us as players. Obviously, with social media and everything that’s out there, you see what’s going on. It’s just a matter of how much you let that stuff seep in, how much you give credence to that. None of us are dumb. We know what’s going on. But at the same time, how are you going to let it affect what’s going on, on the field? I think as players, that’s what we can control.”
Ahead of this season, the Commanders showed their faith in the 27-year-old when they gave him a three-year extension worth $68.4 million, with $28 million guaranteed. In 2021, the third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft racked up more than 1,000 yards through the air for the second straight season.
- Terry McLaurin stats (2022): 22 catches, 367 yards, 1 TD
The Commanders return to action on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET in a tough matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
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