Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin will miss the rest of the season because of a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, coach Dan Quinn said Tuesday.
McLaurin was carted off the field late in the first quarter of the Commanders’ 23-17 loss against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night in Santa Clara, Calif. He was running a pass route to the sideline, covered by cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, when he went down under minimal contact and grabbed at his knee.
He was eventually fitted with an air cast and driven off the field. An MRI in Washington on Tuesday confirmed the team’s fears of the severity of the injury.
“Man, he brings a lot on and off the field,” Quinn said. “It’s a big hit and we’ll lean on a number of guys.”
McLaurin ended the night with one catch for 27 yards, which helped set up a field goal. In five games this season (all starts), the team captain has 15 receptions on 27 targets for one touchdown and a team-leading 230 yards.
He didn’t play in the Commanders’ Oct. 4 loss against the Indianapolis Colts in London due to a hamstring injury, but he was back the following week to make four catches for 62 yards in a tie against the visiting New York Giants.
The 31-year-old veteran is in his eighth NFL season, all with Washington, which selected him in the third round of the 2019 draft out of Ohio State. In 112 NFL games (all starts), McLaurin has 513 receptions for 7,191 yards and 42 touchdowns.
The two-time Pro Bowl selection is in the first year of a three-year, $96 million contract after signing an extension before the 2025 season. According to reports, the remaining two years have salary-cap hits of $34 million and $39.5 million, with no fully guaranteed future salary.
The team could release him after this season or restructure the contract, with Washington saving about $8.5 million against the cap next year if he is released, ESPN reported.
On April 1, $5.35 million of McLaurin’s salary in 2027 becomes fully guaranteed, according to Spotrac.
The Commanders (1-4-1) have a bye week before they return to action with another prime-time game on Nov. 1 against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles (2-4).