The Commanders made it official Wednesday, Oct. 28: wide receiver Terry McLaurin is headed to injured reserve, eight days after Washington learned his season was over. The team announced the move along with a handful of corresponding roster changes ahead of Sunday night’s game against the Eagles.
McLaurin tore his patellar tendon in Washington’s Week 6 Monday night loss to the 49ers. Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed the diagnosis the next day and said the receiver would miss the rest of the 2026 season, as Pro Football Talk reported at the time. According to CBS Sports, he went down on a route late in the first quarter and was carted off.
So why the IR move now?
Washington kept McLaurin on the active roster through its bye week, per PFT’s Josh Alper. Moving him to IR now frees up that 53-man spot, and the Commanders used it on a familiar face: veteran receiver Van Jefferson, who was promoted from the practice squad. Jefferson has appeared in one game this season.
To fill Jefferson’s practice squad spot, Washington signed linebacker Kyle Kennard, a 2025 fourth-round pick of the Chargers who was waived in August. Kennard won SEC Defensive Player of the Year at South Carolina in 2024 after an 11.5-sack season.
There was some good news mixed in, too. Defensive tackle Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton was designated to return to practice, which opens a 21-day window for the team to activate him. Newton tore his pectoral muscle in training camp, had surgery and opened the season on IR.
What Washington loses
McLaurin had 15 catches for 230 yards and a touchdown in five games before the injury. Those 230 yards still led the team, according to CBS Sports. It’s also the second straight year injuries have cut into his season: PFT noted he missed seven games last year with a quad injury after playing in every game over the previous four seasons.
He’s under contract with Washington for two more seasons, per PFT.
Why it matters
McGraw Media’s read: the IR move is paperwork, but the timing isn’t nothing. Washington now heads into a primetime division game against the Eagles without the receiver its offense has leaned on for years, and the roster spot went to a depth veteran, not a new playmaker. If you’re an Eagles fan, that’s one less problem for the secondary on Sunday night. If you’re a Commanders fan, the question is who becomes the go-to target now, because Jefferson is a stopgap, not a replacement. Either way, we’re wishing McLaurin a smooth recovery.
This story was drafted with AI assistance and fact-checked by McGraw Media.
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