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John Keim
ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders have activated Terry McLaurin off the physically unable to perform list, the team announced Saturday.
The move is the next step in his progression and is unrelated to contract negotiations, coach Dan Quinn said.
“Definitely separate,” Quinn said. “This is about his getting ready.”
McLaurin is now eligible to practice, though the Commanders typically have players activated off PUP work with trainers on a separate field first.
Washington likes to run a lot of no-huddle and hurry-up on offense — it was the second-fastest offense in terms of time between snaps last season, according to ESPN Research — so it wants to give McLaurin three weeks of conditioning before the opener.
Quinn pointed out that PUP is focused on rehab; the Commanders can now focus on McLaurin’s return to the field. It’s doubtful that he would play in the third and final preseason game a week from today vs. Baltimore. The goal has been to get McLaurin ready for the Sept. 7 season opener vs. the New York Giants.
Quinn said that it was “important” to activate McLaurin and that this begins the process of getting him work in walk-throughs, then continuing to hit markers that suggest he’s ready for a full workload. McLaurin has been at the facility since July 27, rehabbing an ankle issue that has plagued him at various times in his career — including at the end of last season.
Quinn, when asked whether it was a mutual decision by both sides for McLaurin to come off PUP, said they were just following the guidelines.
“He’s on the same trajectory as everybody else, [receiving treatments] doing workouts and making good strides,” Quinn said.
McLaurin has served as a captain for most of his Washington tenure and remains highly respected in the locker room.
“I can’t say enough great things,” center Tyler Biadasz said. “Hopefully he comes back on the field and we get him back. We’re always excited for it.”
The Commanders placed McLaurin on the PUP list, citing an ankle injury that bothered him late in the season, when he reported to camp July 27 following a four-day holdout. McLaurin was fined $200,000 for missing that time. By reporting, he could no longer be fined.
If he were to sit out games, McLaurin would lose a game check for each week missed, including the bye week. McLaurin would forfeit $861,111 for each week missed. There’s not yet any indication McLaurin would sit out.
The two sides have been far apart in negotiations since they started discussing a deal earlier in the offseason, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. McLaurin had said in an interview a week before camp opened that he would not return to the field until there was “progression” in the talks.
McLaurin has one year remaining on a three-year, $68 million extension he signed in 2022. According to multiple reports and league sources, McLaurin has targeted the deal DK Metcalf received from the Pittsburgh Steelers — four years at $33 million per season with $60 million guaranteed.
Washington has not come close to that per year figure, sources said. Some in the league believe the Commanders could eventually get to $28 million per year.
McLaurin requested a trade July 31, but team sources have said over the past several months that they have no intention of trading him.
Though he was at the facility, McLaurin would only emerge after practice to sign autographs for fans. But he did watch from the sideline during the team’s burgundy-and-gold intrasquad scrimmage Tuesday, along with other injured players. Before that session, he spoke with general manager Adam Peters on the sideline.
McLaurin, coming off his second Pro Bowl appearance, was second in the NFL with a career-best 13 touchdown receptions — as well as 10 red zone scoring catches — in 2024. He has topped 1,000 yards for five consecutive seasons, although he has not yet surpassed 1,200 yards.
Last month, in a 30-minute interview with reporters, McLaurin expressed deep frustration with the lack of progress in their talks.
“I want to continue my career here. I’ve created my life here. My wife and I bought our first home here. So this has been somewhere I’ve always wanted to be. Just to see how things have played out has been disappointing,” he said. “I understand everything’s a business. But at the same time, I want to put myself in a position where I’m valued, I feel appreciated and things like that. Unfortunately, that hasn’t transpired the way I want it to.”