Injury strikes Commanders’ wide receiver room at minicamp — could it finally force movement on Terry McLaurin’s contract standoff?

Time will tell just how severe Brown's injury is but he was a valued role player in Washington's wide receiver room in 2024. In his first season in Washington, he caught 35 passes for 453 yards and offered a physical presence to the perimeter and as a blocker. If Brown's injury ends up being severe, Washington's ambition in adding Deebo Samuel via trade from the San Francisco 49ers will become a much more critical addition to the room. Luke McCaffrey is a promising young player as well, but his role figures to be that of a different stylistic player than the big-bodied bruisers that Washington boasts in Samuel and (hopefully) Brown. 

The biggest domino that may fall as a result of a major injury to Brown ties back to what Washington plans to do about the situation with McLaurin. Without Brown in the mix and McLaurin holding out, Washington's top wide receivers would be Samuel, a second-year player in Luke McCaffrey, veteran slot KJ Osbourn, rookie fourth-round draft choice Jaylin Lane, and Michael Gallup — who was out of the league last year. 

Here's hoping that Noah Brown's injury is not as bad as the initial reports suggest it may be. If it is, it should prompt some additional urgency from the Commanders to smooth out their differences with McLaurin and ensure that he's secure on a contract that has him locked in and focused at the start of the season. 

Losing Noah Brown alone would be a bummer. But losing Noah Brown with a disgruntled Terry McLaurin on the sideline puts a lot of added pressure on unproven youngsters at wide receiver and a raw connection between Deebo Samuel and Jayden Daniels to carry the load of the passing offense. With such big expectations lying this fall, Washington can ill-afford to let their contract squabble compound an injury into a drastic reshaping of their pass catchers for any significant period of time in 2025.

For now, Washington must wait on word for Brown's status and hope for the best. And, in the meantime, it may not hurt to brush up on a new offer for McLaurin, while they're at it.