Is Commanders WR Terry McLaurin Excited About QB Sam Howell?
ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders have generated a lot of excitement since last season ended.
Whether it’s about new quarterback Sam Howell, new ownership, or the addition of playmakers on the defense that will help the Commanders rise up the ranks in the NFC, fan support is higher than it’s been in a longtime.
But some are worried star receiver Terry McLaurin may not be as excited about the new quarterback as others are, saying his comments about Howell signal that there’s not as much love inside the huddle as there may be outside of it.
“It’s going well,” McLaurin said during training camp when asked about his relationship with his latest quarterback. “(He) obviously has a lot on his plate learning the offense…and as a leader, I’m just trying to be where I need to be…We’re all still learning the offense, but one thing about him, he’s not afraid to throw the ball down the field, which is exciting. He’s gonna give guys a chance to make the play down the field and he throws a really nice deep ball. So, he’s growing. I like how he’s doing and how he’s communicating with us well.”
McLaurin also talked about his own leadership role and how he and receivers coach Bobby Engram are doing everything they can to be sure Howell doesn’t have to worry about their tasks as he tries to manage his own for the first time under new assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
Perhaps it’s this focus on his job and his group that is giving the perception that McLaurin may not be over the moon about Howell individually.
But it also may be the result of a star receiver having known no permanent or even semi-permanent fixture in his NFL career at the most important position on the field.
“Everybody knows this is a quarterback driven league and everybody’s looking for their guy,” McLaurin said about instability at the quarterback position. “If you look at the guys who’ve won the Super Bowl and been consistently in the playoffs, they have that guy that they’ve been relying on for some time now. Obviously, we’re still looking for that guy…We just want someone who’s gonna be consistently out there and continue to grow with us as a group…I think Sam has, like I said, done a great job of being a leader at such a young age, but he has a confidence about him that is, you can’t help but notice.”
To us, McLaurin’s comments don’t signal a lack of trust or excitement in Howell, but rather are a result of the player being conditioned to not bonding too tightly with the quarterback he has on the field at any given moment.
The better Howell takes advantage of McLaurin and his teammates being in the right position at the right time, the more excited we’ll likely see the receiver get.
And the longer Howell stays on the field doing just that the more connected the two will likely become.
Of course, with Washington’s backup plan literally waiting in the shadows in the form of veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett it’s hard to blame McLaurin for not diving head first into the Howell pool.
Choosing instead to dive fully into doing his part right and waiting to find out if the quarterback will meet him halfway is the smartest way a receiver who has had 10 starting quarterbacks in four years should approach this season, if we’re being honest.
Of course, McLaurin has always been more demonstrative of his excitement than he has been vocal.
Perhaps we should wait until we get the chance to see the two on a competitive plane again before passing judgement on whether or not anyone is really giving in a new offense with yet another new starting quarterback.
Find David Harrison on the Locked On Commanders podcast or text him directly at (202) 760-2188.
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