The Commanders are not in position to contend for a playoff spot in 2025, but they could be much closer to full strength on offense down the stretch. Receiver Terry McLaurin is in line to make his return on Sunday. 
“I plan to play as much as I can and as much as they’ll allow me to,” McLaurin said (via ESPN’s John Keim). “It’s really encouraging to hear from my teammates and coaches that they don’t feel like I’ve missed a step. I just have a confidence about myself.”
McLaurin was available for the first three games of the season before suffering a quad injury. His next game action came in Week 8, and he aggravated the issue. That has resulted in by far the most missed time in the seven-year veteran’s career while dealing a blow to Washington’s offense. The Commanders sit at 3-8 on the year ahead of a primetime matchup with the Broncos.
A return to the postseason in 2025 is not in store as a result, but Washington’s outlook for the coming weeks would receive a boost with McLaurin back in the fold. The two-time Pro Bowler topped 1,000 yards every year from 2020-24, something which helped land him a $29MM-per-year extension in August. Expectations for the McLaurin-Jayden Daniels connection will remain high for the foreseeable future, and that duo could be back on the field together shortly.
Daniels is set to miss Week 13, but his recovery from an elbow injury is ongoing. The 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year has returned to practice, setting up a potential return for next week. The possibility of shutting Daniels down for the remainder of the season has been raised, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirms team and player have engaged in “big-picture conversations” about returning this late in a lost season. For now, though, a return as early as Week 14 can be expected.
Both Daniels and receiver Noah Brown – who was designated for return from IR on Monday – were full participants in yesterday’s practice. As such, they could soon rejoin McLaurin in game action, something which would give the Commanders a rare instance of offensive availability in 2025.