Terry McLaurin's slow start sparks bold defense from Commanders insider

Terry McLaurin is taking time to find his feet as expected. This was always the concern after the wide receiver spent all summer at loggerheads with the Washington Commanders over his new contract. Still, one team insider doesn't think pressing the panic button would be wise at this juncture.

The Commanders wanted to get the right deal. McLaurin stood his ground, missing months of practice and vital reps to hone his craft. Everything worked out for both parties in the end, but it came at a price.

McLaurin has just seven receptions from 10 targets for 75 receiving yards through the opening two contests. He's struggled to create separation consistently, and the timing with quarterback Jayden Daniels isn't up to last year's standards.

Commanders insider throws support behind Terry McLaurin amid early jitters

With Daniels' status for Week 3 in doubt, McLaurin could be relying on veteran backup Marcus Mariota to get him the football. Although it's not exactly ideal, John Keim from ESPN expects the former Ohio Standout to come good sooner rather than later.

The slow start was somewhat expected given that he missed all of training camp (in addition to OTA and minicamp practices) while holding out/in. He's receiving a similar number of targets as he did last year (6.88 in 2024; 6.5 in 2025) and he was getting open vs. Green Bay -- but the Packers' pass rush often negated chances. [Terry] McLaurin is still getting open -- when he runs a route after lining up wide left (his usual spot), he's averaging 2.53 yards of separation compared with 2.63 last year. It's a matter of time for McLaurin.John Keim, ESPN

McLaurin's previous credentials speak for themselves. He's started slowly before and come out on the other end smiling. The two-time Pro Bowler is beginning to find his football legs again, and his mere presence on the field is something that opposing coverage schemes always have to treat with the utmost respect.

That opens things up for others, but the Commanders' offense overall hasn't exactly been firing on all cylinders to start the season. Kliff Kingsbury was outcoached against the Green Bay Packers, which is a trend that cannot continue. His scheme has been accused of being easy to figure out at previous stops. For these concerns to diminish, he needs McLaurin back to his best.

This is going to be more difficult if Daniels can't go, but McLaurin has proved capable of putting up lofty numbers with a constant stream of quarterbacks since joining the Commanders. If he can maintain this versus a vulnerable Las Vegas Raiders cornerback unit, that should be enough to remove any remaining doubt.