Commanders links
Articles
Washington Post (paywall)
Terry McLaurin says he’ll play Sunday ‘as much as they’ll allow me to’
The Commanders wide receiver is optimistic that he’ll play against the Broncos after missing seven of the past eight games.
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin recalled sprinting down
the field during practice Wednesday, topping out at more than 21 mph as he collected a deep ball from quarterback Jayden Daniels.
For the Washington Commanders’ star duo, it was the sort of practice rep that bordered on monotonous a year ago. In 2025, it counts as a minor milestone.
“I feel really good,” McLaurin said. “[I will] just continue to talk with the training staff, see what their plan is for the game. But I plan to play as much as I can — and as much as they’ll allow me to.”
McLaurin and Daniels haven’t played together since the Commanders’ Week 2 loss at Green Bay, and they have only shared sporadic practice reps since then while navigating injuries. Daniels has dealt with a left knee sprain, a right hamstring strain and, most recently, a dislocated left elbow. McLaurin suffered a right quadriceps/hip flexor strain Sept. 21 against the Las Vegas Raiders that he aggravated in his first game back Oct. 27 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
McLaurin said Wednesday he had no regrets about returning the first time. He had hit all the necessary benchmarks and felt strong, but he aggravated the injury while laying out for a catch that put him in “an awkward position.”
“Any time you’re out there, you’re susceptible to injury or reinjury,” he said. “I just thank God that I’m back and feeling even better than last time.”
ESPN
McLaurin’s return to play could change the Commanders offense
“I feel like my acceleration is there, just kind of like that next gear that I have, and I’m just not really thinking about it at all,” McLaurin said. “I definitely feel better this time around, and the ramp-up process has been really good.”
It has been a frustrating season for McLaurin. He endured a contract hold-out/hold-in before signing a three-year extension after training camp ended. He started slow with 10 catches for 149 yards and no touchdowns in the first three games.
He suffered the initial injury at the end of a 56-yard catch against the Raiders in Week 3. He was stretching and diving for the end zone, falling short by a yard. When he returned in Week 8, he reinjured the quad making another diving catch along the sideline. He finished the game with three catches for 54 yards and his first touchdown but needed to sit out again.
Without McLaurin over the past six weeks, opposing defenses started to play more single-high coverages. The number of solo safety looks increased by about five per game and the Commanders faced on average two more seven-man boxes, impacting their ability to run the ball.
In the first five weeks, Washington averaged 7.2 yards per carry on 50 runs vs. single-high safety looks with at least seven defenders in the box. In the past six games, on 66 carries vs. that look, the Commanders averaged 3.7 yards. The belief was that teams didn’t fear Washington’s outside receivers with McLaurin and Brown sidelined.
Commanders.com
Practice notes | Noah Brown returns to practice
For the first time since Week 2, Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel and Noah Brown were all on the practice field together. Brown, who has only played in two games this season and is currently on Injured Reserve, had his 21-day window opened earlier this week and was a limited participant on Wednesday. McLaurin — also a limited participant — has dealt with a quad injury since Week 3 and has played just one game in the last nine weeks.
While the Commanders are letting the process play out, the hope is that they will join Samuel for their Sunday Night Football matchup with the Denver Broncos.
“It’s awesome,” quarterback Marcus Mariota said after practice. “And we understand they’re all working back, but at the same time, to see them out on the field running around doing their thing, it was really cool for all of us.”
The plan was for the Commanders to have all three players on the field to provide second-year signal-caller Jayden Daniels with more options in the passing game. The season has gone in a different direction, however, as the trio of McLaurin, Samuel and Brown have missed a combined 17 games. Samuel has been the healthiest of the three and currently leads the team in receiving yards (470) and touchdowns (5).
Things have been more frustrating for Brown and McLaurin. Brown has dealt with knee and groin injuries dating back to OTAs in June and missed Weeks 3-6 before being placed on IR.
Heavy.com
Drake Jackson : Logs full practice
Jackson (knee) logged a full practice Wednesday. Jackson hasn’t appeared in a game since 2023 while recovering from a significant knee injury. This was his first full session since having his practice window opened, though his status for a Week 13 matchup against the Broncos remains unclear.
Riggo’s Rag
Radio host urges the Commanders to get Ben Sinnott more involved down the stretch
Grant Paulsen from 106.7 The Fan implored the Commanders to feature second-year tight end Ben Sinnott more prominently in the passing game. He’s seldom been seen so far. The analyst wants to see specific looks that suit his strengths, implemented by offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. That’s the only way Washington will find out for sure whether there is anything left to salvage.
“At some point here real soon — I’ll give you another couple of weeks if you want to play this thing out — but as of three or four games left, I need you to start designing things for Ben Sinnott. Just going through a game where he doesn’t get any targets isn’t good enough for me anymore. One of my frustrations with the lack of under-center play-action stuff is that’s where I think he could actually make a living, in 12 and 13 personnel with more tight ends and that little play-action bootleg stuff. I think that’s what he does well.”Grant Paulsen
The Commanders didn’t spend the No. 53 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft for Sinnott to become a bit-part player. Those in power thought he could fill the shoes of Zach Ertz down the line. With the Pro Bowler likely to depart via free agency or retirement this offseason, giving the Kansas State product an extended audition is a sink-or-swim scenario that will tell fans everything about his outlook.
If it doesn’t work out, the Commanders will be looking for a new No. 1 tight end next year. They might even decide to keep Ertz around. What cannot happen is for Sinnott to remain an unknown quantity.
Commanders Wire
Are the Commanders encouraged by Johnny Newton’s development?
Sainristil wasn’t Washington’s only 2024 second-round pick. Defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton and tight end Ben Sinnott were also chosen in the second round. As a rookie, Newton was behind veteran starters Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, while Sinnott was behind Zach Ertz and John Bates.
In 11 games, Newton has played 34% of Washington’s defensive snaps. He has 23 tackles, including two for loss, two sacks and four quarterback hits. Head coach Dan Quinn has been impressed with the former Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
“I would say one of the strengths of the defense is the DTs,” Quinn said on Monday. “And Johnny’s right in the middle of that. I like that he’s been disruptive as a pass rusher, getting upfield to go. And so, that to me was a big piece of it. Sometimes the game plan works out that way, you’re playing more of a five down front, or how do you want to go about it? But there was nothing regarding game planning, more or less. But I do love the quickness that he’s playing with and the disruption, and I think he’s a guy that can cause havoc. And so, that’s what I want to see this week and every other over the rest of the season of him doing those things together.”
What do we make of what Quinn said? Newton has flashed this season. But you expect more out of a second-round pick. The Commanders were elated when Newton fell to them at No. 36 overall. One reason he fell was a foot injury that required surgery. Before he played his first NFL game last fall, Newton had surgery on each of his feet.
Over Washington’s final six games, coaches should prioritize development and winning. You need to play your best players, but with so many expiring contracts, it’s also essential to find out what you have in some of the younger players. Newton included.
A to Z Sports
The Commanders are set to be a top salary cap team this offseason
The one positive about the roster Peters has built over the last two offseasons is that he hasn’t invested a lot of money in any players other than Terry McLaurin and Sam Cosmi. He went budget spending in free agency, [allowing him to be] more aggressive [in the 2026 offseason] and take advantage of having a franchise quarterback on a rookie contract.
As of now, the Commanders have roughly $60 million in effective cap space for 2026, which will go up to around $80 million once they move on from Marshon Lattimore [and even more if they move on from Daron Payne]. The salary cap can also go up for the entire league once again in the offseason.
Peters took over an awful roster [in 2024], had to wipe it clean, and start building his own. That kind of situation led to a lot of one-year and three-year deals with an out after the second season. The Commanders have only 34 players under contract next season, the second-lowest in the league behind only the Las Vegas Raiders.
They need to re-sign Chris Paul, who has played extremely well at left guard this season, and also give a new contract to Laremy Tunsil, who has been a stonewall for Daniels.
Commanders.com
Commanders vs. Broncos preview | A Mile-high primetime matchup
QUICK HITS
- The Commanders have a 4-2 record at home against the Broncos and a 7-8 all-time record.
- Washington and Denver have never faced off in a Sunday Night Football matchup.
- Washington has an 18-20 record following the bye week.
- Last season following a bye week, the Commanders defeated the New Orleans Saints, 20-19.
- With a win over the Broncos, Washington would move to a 3-1 season record against the AFC West. That would be their best record against the division since 1986 when they also went 3-1.
Podcasts & videos
How Sean Payton Elevates Bo Nix + The REAL Denver D | Film Breakdown | Washington Commanders | NFL
NFC East links
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles Injury Report: DeVonta Smith misses practice again
The Philadelphia Eagles issued their second official injury report in advance of their Week 13 Black Friday home game against the Chicago Bears.
The Eagles listed four players under DID NOT PARTICIPATE: DeVonta Smith, Lane Johnson, Andrew Mukuba, and Xavier Gipson.
Smith was listed under DNP for the second day in a row. Typically, players don’t play after missing two straight practices. But Smith had “illness” added to his injury status on Wednesday. So, maybe he would’ve at least been limited if he wasn’t sick? Maybe he’ll get some work in on Thursday before playing on Friday. We’ll see.
Lane Johnson will not play this week. The Eagles seem to hope that he might be able to return to action in Week 15. Fred Johnson will continue to start at right tackle.
Mukuba was placed on injured reserve. The Eagles will seemingly start Sydney Brown at safety in his absence.
Blogging the Boys
5 things to watch when the Cowboys host the Chiefs on Thanksgiving
Stuffing for everyone
The Chiefs have a stingy defense. They’ve only allowed 201 points this season, ranking them fourth-best in the league. They are pretty balanced both against the pass and the run with good players all across the defense. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has a very disciplined group that all rally to the ball and wrap up. This team rarely misses tackles as they only whiff on 9.2% of their tackles, third-lowest in the league. Defensive tackle Chris Jones leads the push up front, while squirrelly defenders like Leo Chenal and Chamarri Conner will chase people down. The Chiefs’ defense has held their opponents to less than 75 rushing yards in four of their last five games. Running the ball against them won’t be easy.
Additionally, it won’t change much when the Chiefs have the ball because running the ball against the Cowboys is no longer a walk in the park. Since Quinnen Williams joined the team, the Cowboys’ defense has allowed the fewest yards before contact to running backs. The three-DT front, combined with some reinforcements in the back-seven, has made the Cowboys a tougher team to run against all of a sudden. Chiefs running backs Kareem Hunt and Isaiah Pacheco will have to fight for every yard.
Upcoming opponent
Mile High Report
Broncos at Commanders preview: What should be the Bronco’s strategy against Washington?
Run, run, run
Washington has the sixth-worst run defense in the league, giving up an average of 137.5 yards per game. This would be a great week to see what kind of offense you can run with RJ Harvey at the forefront of things. Hopefully, with this kind of defense, Payton can test out different looks that he thinks would be ideal for a guy like Harvey. Or maybe some more sets with both him and Jaleel McLaughlin or Marvin Mims in the backfield. Heck, I want to see if Adam Prentice can manage two or three yards a carry on short-distance downs. And what better way to get the offense back in a rhythm after the bye than to pound that rock? — Ross Allen
Dial up the heat on Marcus Mariota
Coming off their bye week, the Broncos should be well-rested and prepared to execute at a high level. Jayden Daniels isn’t expected to play, which means Marcus Mariota will take the reins of their offense once again. In the five games he has seen significant playing time, he is averaging a turnover a game. I’d like to see the Broncos’ pass rush rattle Mariota and help deliver some turnovers that can give Denver’s offense a chance to get points on the board. — Christopher Hart
Get Bo Nix started early
Find a way to help Nix find success early and then build on that throughout the game. The knock on Nix has been the slow starts, but the Commanders could be the remedy to that. — Adam Malnati
NFL league links
Articles
Washington Post (paywall)
Frank Ragnow ends retirement, returns to give Lions a 4-time Pro Bowl center for stretch run
Frank Ragnow has ended his retirement from the NFL after nearly six months, giving the Detroit Lions a four-time Pro Bowl selection for the stretch run of the regular season and perhaps the playoffs
Frank Ragnow has ended his retirement from the NFL after nearly six months, giving the Detroit Lions a four-time Pro Bowl selection for the stretch run of the regular season and perhaps the playoffs.
The 29-year-old Ragnow was reinstated off the retirement list on Wednesday in a move welcomed by the Lions .
His replacement, Graham Glasgow, was ruled out with a knee injury for the game against the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving .
Ragnow stepped away from the game last June.
“I have given this team everything I have and I thought I had more to give, but the reality is I simply don’t,” Ragnow said last summer. “I have to listen to my body and this has been one of the hardest decisions of my life.”
Wednesday was the deadline for Ragnow to come out of retirement and be eligible to play this season, sources added to Schefter. If a player is on a club’s reserve-retired list, he must be reinstated before that team’s Week 13 game. Detroit hosts NFC North division rival Green Bay on Thursday in its annual Thanksgiving Day appearance.
Ragnow’s first chance to play for the Lions will come next Thursday against the Dallas Cowboys, although a return that quickly is considered unlikely for now, a source told Schefter. That makes Detroit’s following game, Dec. 14 against the Rams in Los Angeles, a likely return target.
The Lions still hold Ragnow’s contractual rights for two seasons — this year and next. When Ragnow returns to Detroit this week, his contract will be reinstated.
The Athletic (paywall)
Caleb Williams is playing unlike any NFL QB. It’s working, but is it sustainable?
In one of the more confounding developments, Williams is holding the ball longer on average than any quarterback (minimum 350 dropbacks) since 2012, even longer than he held it while taking 68 sacks as a rookie in 2024, but his sack rate has plummeted from second-worst in the league last season (10.8 percent) to sixth-best (4.8) entering the team’s Week 13 game Friday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
This goes against logic.
He has been holding the ball 3.13 seconds on average before a throw, sack or crossing the line of scrimmage on a scramble, without taking many sacks.
Is any of this sustainable for Williams? He held the ball shorter than usual in the Bears’ victory over Pittsburgh last week (2.52 on average), but the Steelers still sacked him and recovered the resulting fumble for a touchdown on one of the plays where Williams held the ball longest (4.9 seconds).
It’ll be fascinating to see what happens if Williams continues leading the league in how long he holds the ball.
Discussion topics
Note: The Commanders play the Vikings next week
The Athletic (paywall)
What’s next in Minnesota?
Everyone around the league is asking: What happened to the Minnesota Vikings?
And they’re not alone.
Inside the state of Minnesota, inside the building, inside that locker room, there are some pondering how different this season might look just with better quarterback play.
The Vikings took a massive and costly swing this offseason, spending more than any NFC team. They walked away from 14-game winner Sam Darnold. They lost Daniel Jones to the Indianapolis Colts. They passed on four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers. From everything I’ve gathered, money wasn’t the hang-up in any of those situations; it was ultimately all about betting on J.J. McCarthy.
This organization has been competitive for a decade and believes deeply in its coaching staff, especially 2024 Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell. Even with differences in opinion about the quarterbacks inside the building, most notably with some in the organization wanting to retain Darnold, they decided collectively to back the 22-year-old McCarthy, fresh off a major knee injury that cut short his rookie year before it could begin.
So far? The returns have been messy for 4-7 Minnesota. McCarthy’s 54.1 completion percentage ranks last among qualified starters. He owns the league’s longest active streak of games with an interception (six). The offense is averaging a paltry 247.5 yards per game in McCarthy’s starts, the smallest fraction ahead of the league-worst Tennessee Titans. McCarthy has also missed five games with a high ankle sprain and entered concussion protocol earlier this week. He is not expected to play against Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
I couldn’t help but recall a story my colleague Zak Keefer wrote in September after speaking with O’Connell:
“In what world do you go from wearing a life vest and learning how to swim to being thrown into the deep end in the middle of a 200-meter freestyle against Michael Phelps? We decide in this league very quickly whether a guy can or can’t play quarterback,” O’Connell said.
The 40-year-old coach’s point: NFL teams cycle through young quarterbacks and often have only themselves to blame. And now O’Connell, staring at that potential scenario in real time, is doing everything to keep this ship from sinking on his watch, even as the waves get taller by the week.
So now what? Delay McCarthy again? I’ve been told there were some concerns about how another year sitting on the bench would affect him. And would it even help? Every question has a cousin, and suddenly they’re multiplying. Can a raw but talented quarterback grow fast enough to match a team built to win yesterday?
That’s a lot of pressure on a young player, not to mention on QBs coach Josh McCown, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips and O’Connell himself.
With McCarthy out again Sunday, it’s Max Brosmer time. The undrafted rookie, making his first NFL start, has evaluators using words like calm, organized and efficient. I’m told by a scout who liked him in college at New Hampshire and Minnesota, “He’s not flashy, but neither was Brock Purdy when he first got tossed into the fire for the 49ers and won the job.”
At this point, the Vikings just need some type of spark at quarterback.
