Terry McLaurin’s murky injury status looms over Commanders

Sam Howell has gotten rave reviews from the Washington Commanders this summer. He not only earned the starting quarterback job, but he gained the confidence of his coaches and teammates. For the first time in a very long time, the franchise feels like they’ve found its guy.

“I think there’s not that question mark still, you know what I’m saying?” Commanders coach Ron Rivera said last week. For three seasons I’ve always felt that I had a question mark (at quarterback). Now you feel like, ‘OK, this is pretty good.'”

That hasn’t happened yet, and it may not happen at all, but there certainly is a red alert going on in Washington over the last week or so as receiver Terry McLaurin continues to sit out with an injured toe. He suffered the injury more than a week ago, late in the first half of the Commanders’ second preseason game. The X-rays were negative, Rivera said, and so was the MRI — at least “for the most part,” the coach said.

It’s that “for the most part” part that still has everyone worried, because Rivera also said he hoped to have McLaurin back on the field this week. That hasn’t happened yet.

There is plenty of time of course, and the Commanders are right to be cautious. The more rest their No. 1 receiver gets, the better the chances are that he’ll be ready — and close to 100 percent, they hope — by Opening Day. But they haven’t given much information on his status, so until he’s actually on the field it’s impossible to know for sure.

The only thing that is clear is that the Commanders desperately need him. Howell, a 22-year-old who’ll be making just his second NFL start on Sept. 10 against the Arizona Cardinals, needs all the help he can get.

“Terry’s a unique and special individual,” said offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. “But one thing we understand: The game must continue to go on. Terry wouldn’t want us to be overly concerned about what is going on and what’s taking place with him because that’s the competitor that he is.”