On Saturday morning, the Washington Commanders took a step in the right direction with Terry McLaurin.
Ahead of their second NFL Preseason matchup, the Commanders activated McLaurin off the PUP list. The team made an official announcement on Saturday morning.
via @Commanders: We have activated WR Terry McLaurin off the Active/Physically Unable to Perform List
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn spoke on the situation, expressing excitement over the idea that McLaurin is now cleared for action after dealing with a minor ailment.
However, the head coach made it clear that the activation doesn’t mean that progress was made in contract negotiations between the Commanders and the wide receiver.
“Definitely separate,” he told reporters. “This is about him getting ready to play, which is honestly awesome. It’s just cool seeing him get closer, because now you know [that] steps are getting closer to return to being on the field.”
Prior to getting added to the PUP list, McLaurin wasn’t even around the team at the start of training camp. Seeing as though he wants a long-term extension with a price tag the Commanders aren’t currently willing to meet, McLaurin was a holdout at the beginning of training camp.
Eventually, the wide receiver showed up, but was quickly placed on the PUP. Earlier this week, Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury dropped a statement to the media, which suggested the obvious: having a key player sitting out on the side doesn’t help much for the team.
“I don’t know exactly how much you can get out of that,” Kingsbury said at his press conference on Friday, via Pro Football Talk. “I think we’re kind of at that point to where we need to start getting those guys, when they’re available, out there and jelling to see where we are as an offense.”
Everybody on the Commanders, including the head coach and quarterback, understands McLaurin’s situation. Every key member of the team outside of the front office has been supportive of McLaurin’s approach. Still, at a certain point, they need their top wideout in the mix.
There seems to be a lot of optimism surrounding McLaurin’s eventual return. How long will it last without a new deal? That’s the biggest question. At this time, it seems the Commanders still aren’t willing to meet the two-time Pro Bowler’s demands. At some point, somebody will have to budge.
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