Commanders WR Terry McLaurin Carted Off With Knee Injury

McLaurin’s left leg buckled while running an out-breaking route against 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir. There was contact on the play, but it did not appear that Lenoir directly impacted McLaurin’s knee.

The Commanders will test and evaluate their star wideout. If a significant injury is confirmed, McLaurin will miss multiple games for the second season in a row. He was sidelined for seven games in 2025, primarily due to a quad injury. The result was his worst statistical season in terms of volume, though his efficiency metrics were around or better than his career averages, including a career-best 61.7% success rate.

This year, McLaurin was already sidelined in Week 4 against the Colts due to a hamstring injury that lingered into the following game. The eight-year veteran played just 58.1% of Washington’s offensive snaps in Week 5 after a 77.6% snap share in his first three appearances.

A long-term absence from McLaurin would ratchet up the pressure on a Commanders receiving corps that has underperformed to start the year. McLaurin led the group with 14 catches and 203 yards in his first four games, trailed by veteran free agent signing Stefon Diggs at 18 and 170 (also in four games) and third-round rookie Antonio Williams at 15 and 155. No other Washington pass-catchers have eclipsed triple-digit yards through the air, and only running back Rachaad White has reached 10 catches.

McLaurin signed a three-year, $87MM extension with the Commanders last year that runs through 2028. The deal includes $850k in per-game roster bonuses each year, per OverTheCap, so he stands to lose just under $50k for each game missed. Over the next two seasons, McLaurin is set to earn $56.5MM, but just $5.35MM of his 2027 salary is guaranteed for injury. On April 1 of next year, it vests to a full guarantee.

The Commanders entered Week 5 with a 1-3-1 record and could leave Monday night with another loss. There are already early-season rumblings about firing Dan Quinn, which would move Washington into some kind of a reset next offseason. If McLaurin indeed suffered a major injury and is facing a long-term recovery timeline entering the offseason, the team could consider moving on from their 2019 third-round pick before his cap hits escalate to $34MM and $39MM in 2027 and 2028, respectively.