Commanders might get help from Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel for Week 8, but history says to not get too excited yet

Help could finally be on the way for the Commanders.

Josh Taylor Washington Commanders News Writer
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The Washington Commanders have been riddled with injuries all season long, and the list continues to grow as the season progresses.

Franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels has already suffered two separate injuries this season, and the wide receivers have only played two games together as a full unit. We aren’t sure if Daniels will practice this week with his hamstring injury, or if Marcus Mariota will start again, but regardless, it sounds like help could be on the way with Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel expected to practice this week.

As good as it sounds, you shouldn’t believe any of it until you see them out there on Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel should be back at practice

The Commanders need a jolt with a struggling offense that’s loaded with injuries, and a defense that is a liability whenever it steps on the field. It’ll take a full team effort to beat the Chiefs on the road in primetime. McLaurin and Samuel playing together is the kind of offensive surge this team desperately needs, and they should practice this week, according to head coach Dan Quinn.

The team has a rest and recovery day on Tuesday and Wednesday, and it doesn’t practice until Thursday because they play on Monday night. Quinn will speak to the media before practice on Thursday with the first real updates of the week.

Will they actually play though?

Samuel has missed only one game this past week, but McLaurin has missed four games and hasn’t played with Daniels since Week 2. It’s been a nightmare of a start for McLaurin, who needs to be out there contributing to get this team back in the right direction before it’s too late. They can only afford to lose a few more games before the goals are out of reach. McLaurin was expected to already be back after avoiding IR, but that wasn’t the case.

Nov 10, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) looks on from the field during the final minute of the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Northwest Stadium.© Amber Searls-Imagn Images

We heard last week that Noah Brown and McLaurin were trending in the right direction, and that’s when Brown went to the IR, and McLaurin didn’t even practice. Having Daniels throw to Chris Moore, Luke McCaffrey, and Jaylin Lane is malpractice, and the team is waiting to get healthy while adding players like Treylon Burks.

I would be shocked if Daniels practices this week and plays through a hamstring injury, but Mariota and the struggling rushing offense need their top passing weapons back to even have a chance to have a balanced offense.