Commanders Get Major Update on Star Wide Receivers for ‘MNF’
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LANDOVER, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 21: Marcus Mariota #8 of the Washington Commanders celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Northwest Stadium on September 21, 2025 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
The Washington Commanders will have their top two receivers back for “Monday Night Football,” with Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel set to play against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Both players participated fully in practice over the past three days, and after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the news, the team later confirmed both players will be active. Head coach Dan Quinn stated they both will play. McLaurin has missed the last four games due to a right quad injury, while Samuel sat out last week with a bruised heel that also affected him in the previous game.
The return of both receivers is a welcome boost for the Commanders, who have been plagued by injuries—a factor in their 3-4 record heading into the game against the 4-3 Chiefs. Their presence also provides key support for backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, making his third start this season in place of the injured Jayden Daniels, sidelined with a right hamstring injury.
Terry McLaurin is Ready to Go, Feels 100%
McLaurin said Friday that he didn’t feel 100% until Monday after being close in recent weeks.
GettyLANDOVER, MARYLAND – OCTOBER 13: Terry McLaurin #17 of the Washington Commanders looks on before the game against the Chicago Bears at Northwest Stadium on October 13, 2025 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
“Being able to accelerate and run by people and slam on the brakes, that’s my game,” he said. “My injury hindered a lot of that, but I feel really good right now.”
McLaurin has recorded 10 receptions for 149 yards and no touchdowns over three games. Samuel leads the Commanders with 34 catches for 315 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, receiver Noah Brown hasn’t played since Week 2 and was placed on injured reserve on October 15.
Washington Offense Playing Well, Despite No Jayden Daniels
Despite injuries, Washington’s offense has been productive for much of the season. The Commanders rank 10th in scoring and 13th in total yards, and are seventh in yards per play, though only 24th on third downs.
They also remain second in rushing yards per game overall, but over the past two weeks, their running backs have averaged just 3.6 yards per carry—down from 6.06 in the first five games—and 66.5 rushing yards per game. In those matchups against Chicago and Dallas, who rank 28th and 30th in rushing yards per game, the defenses crowded the box and challenged Washington to pass.
“There’s no doubt there’s certain coverages that teams aren’t willing to play when you have guys like that on the field,” Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said. “So they can definitely help open things up.”
Jayden Daniels Can’t Stay Healthy But Still Playing At Elite Level
Daniels, who had a historic rookie campaign, is dealing with one of the more unfortunate sophomore slumps due to injuries. He missed two games earlier in the year with a left knee sprain and suffered a low-grade hamstring strain in his right leg during a Week 7 game against the Dallas Cowboys. Quinn said an MRI confirmed it was not significant or long-term, but nonetheless he was ruled out for Monday to focus on rehab.
GettyARLINGTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 19: Jayden Daniels #5 of the Washington Commanders celebrates a touchdown during a game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on October 19, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Last season, Daniels had 3,568 yards passing for 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He had a completion percentage of 69% and a passer rating of 100.1. He also added 891 yard rushing for six touchdowns in route to being named Rookie of the Year, and floated as an MVP candidate.
So far this season, Daniels has played in five games and his production, when healthy, is still elite. He has thrown for 1,031 yards, completing 61% of his passes with eight touchdowns and just one interception. His passer rating stands at 97.7. Additionally, Daniels has rushed for 211 yards and a touchdown.
Kyle Dugger Absence vs. Browns Strains Patriots Secondary
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — With their Week 8 matchup against the Cleveland Browns set to kick off at Gillette Stadium, the New England
The Patriots (5-2) enter this matchup on the heels of a dominant 31-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Cleveland (1-5) also won its Week 7 contest against the Miami Dolphins by a score of 31-6 at Huntington Bank Field.
With just over an hour until the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff, the Patriots and Browns have released their lists of inactives:
PATRIOTS INACTIVES:
S Kyle Dugger
LB Caleb Murphy
WR Efton Chism, III
DE Eric Gregory
DE Keion White
G Caedan Wallace
QB Tommy DeVito (3rd QB)
What it Means for the Patriots:
Dugger entered the weekend as questionable for Week 8 with a knee injury. The Lenoir-Rhyne product did not participate the the Pats final practice of the week and was the lone Patriot to be listed on their ultimate injury and practice participation report.
This season, Dugger has appeared in all seven games [making four starts] while compiling 17 total tackles. Due to his preseason and early-season struggles, the former Pats’ team captain has been the subject of both trade and release rumors — the former of which are expected to continue up to the NFL’s
Throughout his five-plus seasons in Foxborough, Dugger has appeared in 81 regular season games, making 69 starts. He also started his only playoff appearance in 2021. The Decatur, Georgia native has compiled 441 total tackles, nine interceptions and two fumble recoveries, while scoring three defensive touchdowns. His extensive knowledge of the Patriots playbook made him the logical choice to serve as their starter with veteran Jaylinn Hawkins being sidelined for the past two games with a hamstring injury.
Despite having just been signed by the Patriots on Oct. 15, defensive back Richie Grant’s elevation from the practice squad may indicate that he is likely to inherit some of the reps normally allotted to Dugger. The veteran safety was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an unrestricted free agent this past offseason but was released prior to the start of the season. Throughout his four seasons in the NFL, the 6’0” 200-pound defensive back has played in 67 games with 33 starts and has accumulated 264 total tackles, three sacks, three interceptions, 17 passes-defensed and 11 special teams tackles.
The Patriots may also turn to second-year defensive back Dell Pettus, perhaps the more-likely choice to receive Dugger’s reps. Pettus has logged 10 total tackles, one forced fumble and one run-stuff in reserve duty this season.
BROWNS INACTIVES:
QB Shedeur Sanders
CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse
S Damontae Kazee
RB Raheim Sanders
G Zack Zinter
T Cornelius Lucas
DT Adin Huntington
