The most important toe in the NFL belongs to Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin, ESPN’s Marcus Spears recently said on “Get Up.”
McLaurin injured his toe just before halftime of Washington’s 29-28 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Initially, the Commanders announced X-rays came back negative. Also, the MRI reportedly showed no major damage. On Wednesday, Washington’s head coach Ron Rivera stated the team will keep McLaurin off his feet “for a couple more days and start getting him ready for next week,” per John Keim of ESPN.
Rivera elaborated further on the MRI and X-ray results.
“For the most part, Terry’s X-rays are negative, and his MRI showed the same thing for the most part,” Rivera said, per JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington.
The “for the most part” could be a play on words. But Rivera’s choice of words now casts doubt about McLaurin’s status.
Rivera is a coach and a coach who periodically leaves the door open to opinions. At this point, we’ll have to wait and see the team’s actions rather than words. How Rivera handled the Curtis Samuel injury saga in 2021 was a valuable lesson. Don’t forget the Chase Young recovery in 2022.
McLaurin will be off his feet for a few days. Hopefully, he progresses and can return next week to prep for Week 1. The Commanders are optimistic that the star wideout will be on the field against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 10.
Meanwhile, watch how the Commanders handle the wide receiver room during next week’s final cuts pertaining to McLaurin. How many receivers make the 53-man roster? Do they bring in a notable available receiver? McLaurin’s toe injury is supposed to be day-to-day. The best-case scenario is the reported diagnosis remains that way.
If the Commanders’ focus with Terry McLaurin turns to week-to-week, then there will be reason for concern. McLaurin hasn’t missed a game since Week 16 of the 2020 season. He’s played in 35 games consecutive games.
