Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin hasn’t had his best season, but is still within striking distance of his fourth 1,000-yard season.
McLaurin’s struggles aren’t due to him losing a step. Jahan Dotson’s production has taken a step back, too. There has been frustration with new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
Through it all, McLaurin has also been breaking in a young quarterback. In his first NFL start in Week 18 last season, McLaurin appeared to have a strong connection with quarterback Sam Howell. His first NFL pass was a touchdown to McLaurin. The pair also hooked up for a deep completion in the game.
However, the pair haven’t gotten in sync outside of flashes this season. Some of it is due to the offensive scheme, protection issues, Howell’s struggles, or Bieniemy not doing enough to force the action to McLaurin.
A respected team leader, McLaurin continues to say all the right things. He had a huge game last week when Jacoby Brissett relieved Howell in the fourth quarter, reaching a career-high in receiving yards. After the game, McLaurin continued his support for Howell.
This week, Brissett relieved Howell again. Down 20 points in the third quarter, Brissett led the Commanders all the way and they took the lead. However, the Jets made a field goal at the end of the game to win.
So, what did McLaurin say about Howell after another benching?
“I haven’t talked about his confidence, him and I, just more so me encouraging him,” McLaurin said when asked if he thought Howell’s recent struggles were impacting his confidence.
“Letting him know that I got his back, and I know he appreciates that. It’s been tough for him, it’s been a tough year for all of us, and I still believe in the ability that he has. He’s shown a lot of great things this year, and if he is back out there next week, we’re going to keep chopping the wood and try to help him out as much as we can. You know, it’s kind of hard for me to speak for his confidence, but I try to do the best I can to keep him uplifted.”
It would be understandable for McLaurin to be outspoken about Howell’s recent struggles and throw his support toward Brissett, especially because he’s a team leader.
But McLaurin is special. He’s rare. A phenomenal player, McLaurin is also the perfect team leader. He will never throw a teammate under the bus and will do everything in his power to help Howell.
The Commanders have two games remaining, and Rivera won’t take long to name a starter for next week’s game against the 49ers. All signs likely point to it being Brisset.