ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin said that he will play Sunday for the first time in a month and that he feels much better than when he returned from his injury the last time.
McLaurin has played just once since Week 3 and has missed the past three games because of a lingering right quad injury. He returned in a Week 8 loss at Kansas City only to reaggravate the injury.
Washington (3-8) plays Denver (9-2) on Sunday night. The Commanders have lost six straight games in part because of an offense that has missed its starting quarterback, Jayden Daniels, and two of its top receivers -- McLaurin and Noah Brown -- for most of the season. Those three have played just two games together in 2025.
All three were listed as limited participants in practice Wednesday, the first time they have practiced together since Week 2. While Daniels remains a long shot for Sunday, McLaurin said he is playing.
"I plan to play as much as I can and as much as they'll allow me to," McLaurin said Wednesday. "It's really encouraging to hear from my teammates and coaches that they don't feel like I've missed a step. I just have a confidence about myself."
That confidence stems from feeling better about his injury. McLaurin said he did not regret returning when he did after missing four games. But, he said, this time he has been able to run consistently for two weeks straight without feeling any tightness.
"I feel like my acceleration is there, just kind of like that next gear that I have, and I'm just not really thinking about it at all," McLaurin said. "I definitely feel better this time around, and the ramp-up process has been really good."
It has been a frustrating season for McLaurin. He endured a contract hold-out/hold-in before signing a three-year extension after training camp ended. He started slow with 10 catches for 149 yards and no touchdowns in the first three games.
He suffered the initial injury at the end of a 56-yard catch against the Raiders in Week 3. He was stretching and diving for the end zone, falling short by a yard. When he returned in Week 8, he reinjured the quad making another diving catch along the sideline. He finished the game with three catches for 54 yards and his first touchdown but needed to sit out again.
Without McLaurin over the past six weeks, opposing defenses started to play more single-high coverages. The number of solo safety looks increased by about five per game and the Commanders faced on average two more seven-man boxes, impacting their ability to run the ball.
In the first five weeks, Washington averaged 7.2 yards per carry on 50 runs vs. single-high safety looks with at least seven defenders in the box. In the past six games, on 66 carries vs. that look, the Commanders averaged 3.7 yards. The belief was that teams didn't fear Washington's outside receivers with McLaurin and Brown sidelined.
Brown also might return Sunday after missing the past nine games with a groin injury. But McLaurin provides the downfield juice. He has finished with more than 1,000 yards receiving each of the past five years. McLaurin entered the season with 43 receptions of 30 or more yards, sixth best in the NFL from 2019 to 2024.
Getting him, and possibly Brown, back will help an offense that ranks 27th in points and 22nd in yards during its six-game skid. The hope for Washington is that McLaurin and Brown can help others such as receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end Zach Ertz underneath.
"To see them out in the field running around doing their thing, it was really cool for all of us," quarterback Marcus Mariota said. "Being able just to create matchups in our favor and create advantages. We like our matchups with any of those guys outside and then add that on top of what Deebo and Zach can do inside, that creates a lot of versatility."