Terry McLaurin Reportedly Won't Be Put on IR by Commanders After Quad Injury

Even though the Washington Commanders will be without Terry McLaurin for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons, he could potentially avoid a long-term absence due to a quad injury.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler (starts at :35 mark), McLaurin won't be placed on injured reserve even though there is "no certainty" at this point for his return.

McLaurin suffered the injury while being tackled after making a 56-yard catch in Washington's Week 3 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Commanders have sought out different opinions to rule out other potential issues. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday that McLaurin met with one of the leading experts on core muscle injuries.

Washington's official injury report only lists McLaurin as having a quad injury. Head coach Dan Quinn told reporters on Friday the star receiver won't play in Week 4 and is considered "week to week" at this point.

A stint on injured reserve would require McLaurin to miss at least four games. The Commanders will also be without Jayden Daniels against the Falcons. It will be his second consecutive game missed due to a knee injury.

McLaurin's streak of 72 consecutive games played will come to an end with his absence in Week 4. The last time he sat out was Week 16 of the 2020 season due to an ankle injury.

The two-time Pro Bowler has only missed three games in his career to this point, not including Sunday.

Washington's schedule starts to get more difficult after this week. Its next six games are against the Los Angeles Chargers, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions.

McLaurin is one of only three Commanders receivers with at least 10 receptions. He leads the team with 149 yards. Deebo Samuel and Luke McCaffrey will likely see more targets until McLaurin returns.

Washington also figures to rely heavily on its rushing attack that ranks second in the NFL with 157.3 yards per game.