Terry McLaurin just said what every Commanders fan wanted to hear

Terry McLaurin is gearing up to make his triumphant return for the Washington Commanders in Week 8 against the Kansas City Chiefs. The wide receiver has been sorely missed, and he needs to hit the ground running for this offense to stay competitive versus a team expected to go deep into the playoffs once again.

There will be no Jayden Daniels for McLaurin to depend upon on Monday Night Football. The superstar quarterback has been ruled out with a low-grade hamstring strain, but Marcus Mariota is a capable understudy. And the signal-caller won't be complaining when he sees Washington's No. 1 wideout, together with versatile weapon Deebo Samuel Sr., lining up alongside him.

McLaurin's been an innocent bystander in the last four games, which has been deeply frustrating. This is even more significant given that he missed the entire summer due to a contract standoff. He got his money, but only when the extension worked for general manager Adam Peters.

Terry McLaurin confident he'll have no restrictions in long-awaited Commanders return

But after false hope from Dan Quinn over the last couple of weeks, things look much more promising now. McLaurin and Samuel have both been full participants in practice, and based on the former Ohio State star's comments during his first media appearance since his quad/hip problem, he'll have no limitations whatsoever.

I think if there’s one thing that you kind of got to keep in mind during the rehab process, like, it’s a very controlled environment, which is great for anybody that’s hurt. But when you go out there and the guardrails are off, you know there’s a lot of unexpected things that can happen. And so, to be able to just be myself without any hindrance and pain is extremely important.Terry McLaurin via The Athletic

This is precisely what Commanders fans wanted to hear. It's been an arduous process, not helped by Washington's on-field inconsistencies. At the same time, desperately throwing McLaurin back into the lineup at less than 100 percent would only increase the risk of further complications.

It's the most positive injury update so far, and the fact that it comes from McLaurin himself makes it even better. Expecting miracles right away might be pushing it, especially without Daniels. However, his presence alone should be enough to give everyone in the locker room a massive lift at a time when morale is probably dwindling.

McLaurin is one of the league's most consistent receivers when fit and firing on all cylinders. The Commanders still have a monumental challenge awaiting them, but their chances improve exponentially with the second-team All-Pro returning from his lengthy absence.