Jayden Daniels spotted Terry McLaurin near the left goal line during the Washington Commanders' May 29 OTA practice, and of course, he slung the ball out there for his two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver to make a play.
That's exactly what he did, and it was a typical McLaurin moment. He plucked the ball out of the air and managed to get a foot and a knee down in the end zone. He pointed to Daniels as he rolled and slid another five yards, then pointed to the camera to celebrate. He dapped up Luke McCaffrey as he went back to the huddle and did his "Scary Terry" touchdown celebration with tight end Chig Okonkwo.
McLaurin looks like his normal self after a year's worth of injuries and contract negotiations in 2025. It's been a welcome reintroduction for a team that is looking to reignite its offense this upcoming season. He's always been the focal point of Washington's offense since he was drafted in 2019, but his performance in practice over the last two weeks has helped smooth out the transition into a new scheme. He also seems determined to help elevate those around him, and the team has taken notice.
"Terry has thrown a remarkable offseason so far," head coach Dan Quinn said Tuesday. "There's certain cornerstone people like Terry that have these standards, whether it's practiced workouts, the meetings, but you can feel all the energy that he's bringing to everybody."
It is difficult to quantify exactly how impactful McLaurin's absence in practice and games was for the Commanders in games, but it was certainly a noticeable one. The Commanders have often relied on McLaurin for his route running, leadership and reliability for explosive plays, but those were missing for half the season thanks to a quad injury suffered in Week 3. The offense suffered as a result, and while McLaurin's absence was not the sole reason that the unit regressed from the top 10 numbers it put up in 2024, it did play a role.
Now healthy and with a contract extension, McLaurin has returned to being the Commanders' most important playmaker, flashing smiles after making catches and running routes with the same efficiency that fans have grown accustomed to seeing from him. He spent time after practice on the Jugs machine, catching footballs from several different angles and at the edge of his catch radius.
"This has definitely been more of a normal offseason for myself, just on and off the field," McLaurin said. "It's just good to be out here."
There are still some added wrinkles to McLaurin's routine. He and the rest of the Commanders are learning a new offense led by coordinator David Blough after being in Kliff Kingsbury's Air Raid scheme. Not much is known about the specifics of Blough's offense, which is how the Commanders like it, but McLaurin did say there is some multiplicity in the system that allows players to be moved around to create better matchups. This is a departure from Kingsbury's system, which had McLaurin line up on the left of the offensive formation on nearly every play.
McLaurin is not complaining about what he did or did not accomplish in Kingsbury's offense; when he was healthy in 2024, he had 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns. But he is excited about what he can do in Blough's vision.
"Just having those types of variations in your route tree is just an unbelievable weapon to have as a receiver," McLaurin said. "And so now we're just trying to home in on the details, be where we need to be to make sure that we're on the same page with the quarterback. So, it's just been really fun and refreshing just to be able to be moved around all parts of the football field."
And it's been fun to see McLaurin learn the system while reestablishing his chemistry with Daniels. The two connected on a deep shot in even-on-seven drills during last week's practice and on another deep pass in play-action drills. There should be more of that in the regular the season, and Quinn believes McLaurin is going to benefit from the new offensive perspective.
"It'll definitely contribute to his game and then how it features on different parts of the field, third downs and red zones," Quinn said. "We'll see. But early on that, that is definitely one of the ways to get him the ball."
McLaurin's presence has also helped bring some clarity to the Commanders' receiver room. "He sets the tone for the group," Blough said, and that is clear when he's on the field or the sideline. He believes his leadership has taken another step as he enters his eighth season, as he is willing to do whatever he can to help his younger teammates. A good example came during Tuesday's seven-on-seven drills, when he coached undrafted rookie Jaden Bradley up on hand placement and releases. When Bradley caught a contested pass from Athan Kaliakmanis, McLaurin's voice was the loudest on the field.
"I told you the ball would come," McLaurin said from the opposite sideline as Bradley ran upfield.
"Honestly, the first thing that comes to mind about seeing Terry this offseason is his joy of the game, of practicing," Quinn said. "I see it with him interacting with the coaches, with his teammates. And so that's the part, honestly, that jumps out to me the most."
The Commanders need that version of McLaurin -- both as a teacher and playmaker -- for the 2026 season. They have a vision of getting back at least some of the success they had in 2024, and a motivated McLaurin helps make that reality. McLaurin has been that version of himself, and like the rest of the atmosphere around the team facility, it creates more confidence for what the team can accomplish in the fall.
"He is working incredibly hard, and every time he is out there, he's making plays and showing the energy, the play style that we want to be all about," Blough said. "So, he's been excellent."
