The Washington Commanders activated wide receiver Terry McLaurin from the PUP list this weekend. Paving the way for his highly anticipated return to practice. The Pro Bowl wideout had sat out voluntary work, opted out of mandatory minicamp. He even requested a trade when contract negotiations stalled earlier this summer. Now, with McLaurin finally back among the fold, everyone has turned their attention to how soon he can collaborate with Jayden Daniels. The young quarterback who already flashed poise and playmaking in his preseason opener. For Daniels, getting together with McLaurin isn’t so much about timing routes. It’s building chemistry with the team’s most valuable offensive asset.

When asked about star wide receiver Terry McLaurin’s return, Daniels played optimist. “I know he’ll be walking through that door soon,” he said, straddling confidence and patience. The remark wasn’t so much about McLaurin’s well-being; it was about the quarterback trusting the team’s leader. With McLaurin now declared active by head coach Dan Quinn, the words carried greater meaning.

Washington’s been waiting for their Pro Bowl receiver to finally get fully in the fray, and Daniels’ measured tone rang with the expectation that’s been building inside the locker room. Other than McLaurin, Daniels also heaped praise on Deebo Samuel’s juice. The offense’s chemistry that keeps changing, and the belief that the unit can turn it up another notch once everyone’s on the same page.

Offense coordinator Kliff Kingsbury also addressed the urgency, saying he’d like to get all of the players who’ve lost playing time on the field ASAP. McLaurin, receiver Noah Brown and linemen Brandon Coleman and Sam Cosmi are out, and the offense isn’t where it needs to be with the opener on the horizon. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported McLaurin’s PUP activation was not related to contract talks, which are still ongoing. The wide receiver remains signed for this season but if the  contract is not executed, Washington would be at risk of dragging the negotiations into 2026 and facing a franchise tag threat.

Of course, McLaurin was not the lone player to report to camp on the PUP list. Offense lineman Sam Cosmi is now the sole Commander remaining stood up, battling through his own ankle issue. The Commanders made a couple of adjustments since the last depth chart update. They released DE Viliami Fehoko Jr., CB Allen George, LB/S Dominique Hampton, and WR Mike Strachan. OT Lucas Niang and CB Kevon Seymour were placed on injured reserve. Washington inked a group of veterans, linebacker Duke Riley, cornerbacks Essang Bassey and Antonio Hamilton Jr., defensive back Daryl Worley, and wideout River Cracraft to bring some depth. McLaurin’s activation is a major move toward roster stability, but the front office clearly isn’t done tweaking around with their quarterback.

Dan Quinn clarifies Terry McLaurin’s activation

The Commanders activated the veteran wideout from the physically unable to perform list over the weekend. A decision that understandably raised a lot of eyebrows given his current contract standoff. McLaurin opened camp with a multi-day holdout before finding himself on the PUP list due to an ankle issue, and the coincidence made it easy to wonder whether the two issues were connected. But head coach Dan Quinn was the first to shoot down that narrative. He said that the roster transaction had nothing at all to do with negotiations. “Definitely separate,” Quinn said, making it clear that the team is simply hopeful about McLaurin’s rehab. For Quinn, the signing was more of a statement of process rather than dollars.

Washington already has a process for bringing players back from long absences, and McLaurin is actively moving down that path. “This is about him getting ready to play,” Quinn said, adding the wideout is “making good strides” in his rehabilitation. That’s no small thing for a roster that hasn’t always found its emotional spark at times when McLaurin isn’t out there. The Commanders have plenty of youthful talent at receiver. But there isn’t replacing a Pro Bowl-level leader who has guided the offense through lean times. Having him back on the field, even if only in limited amounts, holds out hope that the team is able to finally gain traction when games count most. Though Quinn was careful not to get too optimistic.

He labeled McLaurin’s return as an “important” step but would not go so far as to discuss it in terms of the looming contract scenario. Washington still hasn’t reached agreement with its best threat on offense. And until it does, the specter of another holdout or distraction hangs over the franchise. With their season opener vs. the Giants, the Commanders are hoping that their “real process” will be a plus having McLaurin back at full participation at the right moment.