McLaurin is healthy, so what's next for the Commanders star?

The Washington Commanders have had one black cloud threatening to rain all over their parade this preseason, and while they seemed to lighten up a bit when the news that receiver Terry McLaurin had been removed from the team’s Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, the threat of a storm is still there.

Like a dutiful weather forecaster hard at work trying to predict the next shift in temperatures, we’ve been on the lookout for any signs of relations between the Commanders and their star receiver, and we received a small update from head coach Dan Quinn that things at least appear to be moving in the right direction.

'Out of the Rehab Phase'

“The return to play part is, that's the good news, so we're out of the rehab phase with Terry,” the Washington coach said on Wednesday. “His ankle's good, he's healthy, so now it's a return to play.”

To reiterate what Quinn has said in the past, the time for rehabilitation is over, and now the team is focused on football conditioning activities that will smartly and efficiently get McLaurin back onto the playing field as soon as possible.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17). | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Return to Play Process

How long will that take? Well, like every other injured player we’ve covered with the Commanders since Quinn arrived in 2024, there’s no fixed date on that answer.

“What goes into all that at that position specifically, like the max speeds, the decelerations, the route tree of going through that,” Quinn continued, listing all of the things that McLaurin has to get right on before hitting the field. “That's kind of the good news of where we're at is just conditioning and football and returning to play.”

If that answer isn’t specific enough for you, we get it, but the last thing Quinn is going to do is put a hard date on a player’s injury recovery to appease the media or even fans.

No 'Where's Waldo'

He also doesn’t appear all that keen on giving a daily non-update on McLaurin’s status, saying he prefers not to play “Where’s Waldo?” when it comes to the receiver's reappearance to the practice field.

For those on edge about the whole situation, it’s reasonable to hope for daily updates. After all, McLaurin was the lone bright spot many times during some very dark days for Washington football. With brighter days ahead, there were images of what he and quarterback Jayden Daniels might be able to accomplish in year two, visions that didn’t include the absence of No. 17.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) celebrates with quarterback Jayden Daniels (5). | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

'Earlier Than Later'

While understanding the itch to see McLaurin and Daniels exchanging passes again, Quinn’s best answer to soothe those concerns was, “He's healthy, which is now a good step to getting closer to being back on the field. So, you'll see that earlier than later.”

For now, that’s the best we’re getting, and likely the best we’re going to get, until No. 17 emerges from the shadows of the training room to shoo away the lone rain cloud threatening to dampen all of the excitement that has grown during the late winter into the spring and summer of 2025.

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