Terry McLaurin carted off with knee injury: Commanders lose star receiver
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Terry McLaurin hurt his left knee in the first quarter of Monday night's game in San Francisco.
- The cart took him off the field. Washington ruled him out for the rest of the night.
- Stefon Diggs and rookie Antonio Williams must now carry the Commanders' passing game.
Terry McLaurin left Monday night's game on a cart. The Washington Commanders star hurt his left knee in the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers. The team ruled him out for the rest of the game.
What happened
The injury came on a third-down play in the first quarter. McLaurin was running a route near the sideline.
His left knee buckled as he tried to get free from Deommodore Lenoir. That is according to the Associated Press.
It looked like a non-contact injury. That means no defender hit his knee directly. McLaurin grabbed at the knee as he fell to the turf, USA Today reported.
He could not get up on his own. He stayed down on the field while teammates knelt nearby.
Trainers put his left leg in an air cast. Then the cart drove him to the locker room.
Teammates surrounded him as he left the game, USA Today reported. Washington ruled him out quickly. The team announced the knee injury and said he would not return.
The timing could not have been worse. Washington was already trailing 13-3 early in the first quarter, according to USA Today.
McLaurin had just made his only catch of the night. It went for 27 yards on Washington's first drive, NBC Sports reported. That was his last play.
He entered the game less than fully healthy. McLaurin had been limited in practice all week with a hamstring injury. He missed the Week 4 game against Indianapolis with the same problem, the AP reported.
San Francisco had its own injury scare. Wide receiver Mike Evans also left the game.
He limped off in the second quarter with an Achilles injury, NBC Sports reported. He had caught 3 of 5 passes for 94 yards before leaving.
Why it matters
McLaurin is Washington's No. 1 receiver, according to USA Today. He has 15 catches for 230 yards and one touchdown this season, the AP reported.
He is a two-time Pro Bowler. The Pro Bowl honors the league's best players each season. For his career, he has 513 catches for 7,191 yards and 42 touchdowns, the AP reported.
Monday was supposed to be a fresh start. For the first time since Week 1, Daniels, McLaurin, and Diggs were all healthy at once.
NBC Sports noted the milestone. That lasted less than one quarter.
His durability makes this scarier. Since entering the league in 2019, he had rarely missed games.
He missed more than two in a season only once, the AP reported. Last season he missed seven games with a quadriceps injury. The quadriceps is the big muscle on the front of the thigh.
NBC Sports wrote that the injury mechanism "did not look promising." It added that his season "could be in jeopardy."
The team has not confirmed any of that. It has only ruled him out for the game.
Knee injuries of this type often mean long absences. But no timeline exists yet. Everything beyond Monday night is unknown.
What happens next
Washington turns to its depth chart. Stefon Diggs becomes the clear WR1, USA Today reported. Diggs himself returned Monday from a hamstring injury that cost him the Week 5 game.
Rookie Antonio Williams is next in line. His role will grow fast.
Treylon Burks should also see more snaps. Burks already has two touchdowns this season, according to USA Today.
Dyami Brown and Luke McCaffrey round out the group. The team will need all of them.
The next step is medical testing. The team will likely run an MRI to see the full damage.
An MRI is a scan that shows soft tissue like ligaments. The team has not announced a timeline for results.
Washington also lost lineman Javon Kinlaw. He hurt his knee late in the first half, the AP reported. He was ruled out too.
For more on San Francisco's season, read our explainer on Brock Purdy's all-time passer rating record. Hamstring problems have hit receivers across the league this year, including Davante Adams with the Rams. Also see how Green Bay beat Dallas 23-13.
The Commanders now wait. They wait for scan results. They wait for a timeline.
And they must find a way to move the ball without their most productive receiver.
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