Commanders’ Dan Quinn Delivers Confident Update on Star’s Week 1 Status

The question surrounding the Washington Commanders since Terry McLaurin signed his three-year contract extension was whether the star wideout would play Week 1.

Now we have the answer.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn assuaged fears and declared McLaurin would have enough time to get ramped up and play against the New York Giants on Sept. 7.

McLaurin, of course, had been holding in in hopes of securing a new contract but secured his deal, a three-year contract worth $96 million with $44.65 million in guaranteed money, earlier this week.

McLaurin, a third-round pick of the Commanders in the 2019 NFL Draft, has 460 catches for 6,379 yards and 38 receiving touchdowns in six seasons with Washington. He had 82 catches for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 TDs in 2024, then posted 14 catches for 227 yards and three touchdowns while helping Washington reach the NFC Championship Game last year.

What Did Dan Quinn Say About Terry McLaurin’s Contract?

Quinn, the second-year Commanders coach who guided them to a 12-5 record and two playoff wins for the first time since 1991, was asked directly about whether McLaurin would have enough time to shake off the rust and play against the Giants.

“Yeah, absolutely it is,” Quinn said, before adding “I love coaching him. He is a rare competitor. He’ll be back on the field [Wednesday] with his teammates.

“[Having McLaurin participating at practice] is a really big deal, and we’re pumped about it.”

The McLaurin hold-in was forcing Commanders fans, players and staff to curb their enthusiasm ahead of one of the most anticipated seasons in the DMV in more than a decade.

Washington, of course, boasts the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in Jayden Daniels, Quinn — who finished fourth in Coach of the Year voting — and acquired Swiss Army-knife wideout Deebo Samuel from the San Francisco 49ers. But with McLaurin locked in, the excitement can truly flow through the organization.

But even though Quinn was sure McLaurin would be ready, Commanders GM Adam Peters did make it seem as though he, and injured wideout Noah Brown, could be inactive against New York.

“They are ramping up, and those are the things we’ll find out, in terms of where they’ll be at for the Giants and further down the line,” Peters said. “In terms of where Terry and Noah will be, Week 1, we’ll find that out today, tomorrow and a few days we practice next week and we’ll make the decision that’s right so we don’t overextend them if they’re not ready to go for 80 or 90 plays.”

What Did Adam Peters Say About Contract Negotiations With Terry McLaurin?

Peters went pretty deep in explaining the process with McLaurin’s contract negotiations. He said there was some concern that a deal would not get done in time for him to ramp up for the home opener next Sunday.

“Throughout the conversations with Terry’s agent, there was a lot more optimism, at least within myself,” Peters said. “As we got closer, it started feeling pretty good.”

Daniels could sense the optimism too, since he expressed his belief in a deal getting done to Dianna Russini of The Athletic last week.

Despite the whirlwind of emotions, and topsy-turvy nature of negotiating, the two sides could sense they wanted each other.

“You get optimistic, pessimistic, all different other things throughout the process,” Peters said. “What we never lost was our love and respect and admiration for Terry and what he does for us on and off the field.”