Terry McLaurin was carted off the field with a left knee injury late in the first quarter of Washington's 23-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night in Santa Clara, and head coach Dan Quinn said afterward that the injury could be significant. McLaurin had an air cast placed on his left leg before being driven off, and he was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game.
According to NFL.com, Quinn said the “fear” was that the injury was “significant,” though he had no firm update in the moments after the game. McLaurin was scheduled to undergo scans Tuesday to get a clearer picture of the damage, per the same report. As of now, no diagnosis has been made public, and there is no word on how long he might be out.
Video of the play showed McLaurin going down while running a route near the sideline with minimal contact, as San Francisco cornerback Deommodore Lenoir covered him on the route. The Washington Post reported that his knee appeared to buckle as he tried to get free from Lenoir, and NFL.com similarly characterized it as essentially a non-contact injury, noting that his leg and knee were not hit before he fell to the turf.
A Big Play, Then a Scary Exit
Before he went down, McLaurin had delivered the game's biggest offensive play for Washington, hauling in a 27-yard catch that helped set up a field goal. It was a reminder of why the 31-year-old remains Washington's top target even in a lean season for the Commanders, who fell to 1-4-1 with the loss.
McLaurin had one catch on the night, bringing his season totals to 15 catches for 230 yards and a touchdown, according to NFL.com. He had already missed one game this year, Washington's October 4 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in London, because of a hamstring strain, according to ESPN. He returned the following week and caught four passes for 62 yards in a tie against the visiting New York Giants, per the Sacramento Bee's reporting.
A Veteran Who Rarely Missed Time — Until Last Year
Monday's scare is notable in part because of how durable McLaurin had been for most of his career. ESPN notes that he strung together five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 2020 through 2024, a run that made him one of the most reliable targets in the league. He had also played 112 NFL games, all starts, since Washington selected him in the third round of the 2019 draft out of Ohio State, and he carries career totals of 513 receptions, 7,191 yards and 42 touchdowns, according to the Sacramento Bee.
That streak of availability ended last year, when ESPN's report notes McLaurin sat out seven games in 2025, snapping a run of 72 consecutive games played. He is in the first year of a three-year, $96 million contract, the Sacramento Bee reported, making his health a central question for a Washington team trying to find its footing in his eighth NFL season.
Who Steps Up While McLaurin Waits on Scans
With McLaurin sidelined for the rest of Monday's game, Washington leaned on its other options. USA Today reported that Stefon Diggs was expected to step in as Washington's top wide receiver, with rookie Williams also in line for an expanded role. Neither the severity of McLaurin's injury nor any timetable for a possible return has been established publicly.
Washington now has a bye week before returning to action, a stretch that could give McLaurin and the medical staff more time to assess the scans without the pressure of a looming game, per the Sacramento Bee. The Commanders are next scheduled to play the Philadelphia Eagles, who sit at 2-4, on November 1.
