Terry McLaurin sounds off on Commanders’ high QB turnover
Through his first four seasons in the NFL, Washington Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin hasn’t had the luxury of building chemistry with any one quarterback.
The 27-year-old wideout has caught passes from 10 different QBs since his rookie year. But because he’s had a revolving door of signal callers since the Commanders drafted him in the third round in 2019, McLaurin has had to hold himself to a higher standard so Washington’s ever-changing QB room isn’t an excuse for any poor on-field results.
"Well, everybody knows this is a quarterback-driven league and everybody's looking for their guy," McLaurin told reporters on Monday. “And if you look at the guys who've won the Super Bowl and been consistently in the playoffs, they have that guy that they've been relying on for some time now. Obviously, we're still looking for that guy. I don't use that as an excuse as to why I don't do my job and I don't use that as a crutch to be why I'm not making plays. So, I don't want to use that as a hindrance that dictates my outcome and my performance.”
Last season, the Commanders rotated between three different quarterbacks — Sam Howell, Taylor Heinicke and Carson Wentz. It was the fifth consecutive season the team used three or more quarterbacks. In fact, Washington hasn’t had the same Week 1 starting quarterback in back-to-back years since Kirk Cousins in 2016 and 2017.
Despite signing free agent Jacoby Brissett during the offseason, Howell, who’s the only QB from last year still on Washington’s roster, is expected to be the team’s Week 1 starter.
The 22-year-old former fifth-round pick played in just one game as rookie in 2022 — Washington’s regular season finale against the Dallas Cowboys. He completed 11 of 19 passes for 169 yards, a touchdown and an interception (McLaurin caught three of those passes for 74 yards and the score), and he ran for 35 yards and another TD.
While not overly impressive, Howell’s performance showed head coach Ron Rivera enough to give the UNC alum an opportunity to take hold of the starting job in 2023. Through the first week of training camp, Howell appears to be making a strong impression on those around him, including McLaurin.
“I think Sam has done a great job of being a leader at such a young age, but he has a confidence about him that you can't help but to notice,” McLaurin said. “As we've gone over the course of this offseason, we've thrown together, we've gotten some reps out here. He just has a really good feel of throwing the ball down the field and that's a strength of my game. I think that's something that we're looking forward to trying to put on the field this year is taking those shots down the field, but also being consistent in underneath routes and spacing the ball out and things like that.”
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