ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Wide receiver Terry McLaurin will miss a fourth consecutive game for the Washington Commanders on Sunday with a lingering quadriceps muscle injury, part of a series of health issues at that position that prompted the team to sign Treylon Burks to the practice squad on Friday.
“It's frustrating for him, because he's working at it hard,” coach Dan Quinn said about McLaurin. “It's just not ready yet, and that sometimes happens when you have a soft-tissue injury.”
The Commanders (3-3), who play at the Dallas Cowboys (2-3-1) on Sunday, put starting wideout Noah Brown on injured reserve this week after he already missed four games with knee and groin issues.
McLaurin, Washington's No. 1 receiver, has been sidelined since getting hurt on a 56-yard catch in a 42-24 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 21. Until this prolonged absence, McLaurin had appeared in 72 consecutive regular-season games for the Commanders; he hadn’t missed one since late in the 2020 season.
McLaurin, who turned 30 in September, has topped 1,000 yards receiving for each of the past five seasons. Last season, he accumulated 87 catches for 1,096 yards with 13 TDs and added another three scores in the postseason, teaming with quarterback Jayden Daniels to lead Washington to the NFC championship game.
This season's leading receiver for Washington, Deebo Samuel, missed practice Thursday because of a heel problem but was out there on Friday.
“He was able to get reps today,” Quinn said. “It was nice to see him kind of get the full complement of stuff today.”
The oft-injured Burks was waived by the Tennessee Titans in July, two days after the 2022 first-round draft pick hurt his right shoulder while making a diving catch in practice.
The Titans took Burks 18th overall with a selection acquired by sending A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Burks' best season came as a rookie in 2022, when he had 33 catches for 444 yards and one touchdown. He had 16 receptions in 2023, and just four last season, when he only played in five games.
Washington also released receiver Tay Martin from its practice squad Friday.
Martin is in his fourth year in the NFL. He had two catches for 23 yards in three games with the Commanders this season.
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