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Sports · North America

Dan Quinn says Terry McLaurin’s torn patellar tendon ends his season

Washington head coach Dan Quinn said Terry McLaurin tore his patellar tendon and will miss the remainder of the 2026 season. Tests confirmed the injury on Tuesday after McLaurin was hurt running a route and could not reach the sideline under his own power.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 5 outlets' reporting · Article text read from 1 of 5 outletsHow it's made

View timeline · 6 entries
5 outletsLatest reporting 2 min read
Coverage: MixedL 1 · C 2 · R 1 · 1 unrated

What happened

Key facts

  • Dan Quinn said Terry McLaurin suffered a torn patellar tendon and will miss the rest of the 2026 season (per CBS Sports).
  • Tests on Tuesday confirmed McLaurin's injury (per CBS Sports).
  • McLaurin was injured while running a route and could not get to the sideline under his own power (per CBS Sports).
  • Washington lost to the 49ers 23-17 after trailing 14-3 when McLaurin left the game (per CBS Sports).

The brief

Washington head coach Dan Quinn said Terry McLaurin tore his patellar tendon and will miss the rest of the 2026 season. The injury occurred during Washington’s game against the 49ers. CBS Sports reported that tests on Tuesday confirmed Quinn’s assessment, making the injury season-ending for the Commanders wide receiver.

McLaurin went down while running a route late in the first quarter, CBS Sports reported. He could not reach the sideline under his own power and was carted off with his left leg in an air cast. Quinn had said after the game that the injury appeared significant; the Tuesday tests confirmed it. The injury leaves Washington without its leading receiver by yardage this season.

McLaurin had 230 receiving yards, according to CBS Sports. He had also missed one game, in Week 4, because of a hamstring injury. The outlet reported that McLaurin caught a 27-yard pass early in Monday’s contest. Washington was behind 14-3 when McLaurin left, CBS Sports reported. The Commanders mounted a second-half comeback but did not complete it, losing 23-17 to the 49ers.

Those game details place the injury within the loss, but the account does not attribute the defeat to McLaurin’s departure. Fox News, ESPN, the Washington Commanders’ website and The Washington Post also published headlines identifying McLaurin’s injury as season-ending.

Fox News and The Washington Post specify a torn patellar tendon in their headlines; ESPN attributes the season-ending injury assessment to Quinn. The Commanders’ headline describes it as a season-ending knee injury against the 49ers. The confirmed injury ends McLaurin’s 2026 season, and his absence removes a receiver who leads Washington in receiving yards.

Quinn’s account, as reported by CBS Sports, connects the diagnosis to the tests conducted Tuesday; the other headlines likewise describe the injury as ending McLaurin’s season. The available statements do not provide a recovery timetable or further detail about his return to play.

Why it matters

  • Washington loses its leading receiver by yardage: McLaurin had 230 receiving yards this season.
  • The injury ends McLaurin’s 2026 season, removing him from the Commanders’ lineup for the remainder of the season.
  • McLaurin had already missed one game in Week 4 because of a hamstring injury.

What to watch next

  • Whether Washington provides a recovery timetable for McLaurin.
  • How Washington’s receiving production changes without its leading receiver by yardage.
  • Whether Quinn or the Commanders provide further information about McLaurin’s injury.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
5 source articles · 5 unique outlets
Outlet political mix: Mixed· 1 Left · 2 Center · 1 Right · 1 unrated
Where the outlets are based: US/Canada 80% · Unknown 20%
Outlet political mix
Mixed
Left
Center
Right
1 outlet
2 outlets
1 outlet
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 1 unrated outlet is not included.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
5 unique outletsDominant coverage: US/Canada
Coverage imbalance
  • Coverage is currently concentrated among outlets based in US/Canada (4 of 5 geographically-identified sources).
How we measure coverage

How outlets' accounts compare

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Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. Washington selected Ohio State wide receiver Terry McLaurin in the third round of the NFL Draft.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  2. Terry McLaurin recorded 1,118 receiving yards for Washington, his first 1,000-yard NFL season.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  3. Terry McLaurin recorded 1,053 receiving yards for Washington.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  4. The franchise changed its name from the Washington Football Team to the Washington Commanders on February 2, 2022.
    Background · from our historical context
  5. Terry McLaurin recorded 1,096 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns while playing with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  6. Washington reached the NFC Championship Game on January 26, 2025, before losing to Philadelphia.
    Background · from our historical context

How we got here

By the end of the 2024 season, Terry McLaurin had become one of Washington’s most established receivers: he recorded 1,096 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns while playing alongside rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Washington reached the NFC Championship Game on January 26, 2025, before losing to Philadelphia.

McLaurin’s standing in the offense reflected a longer run of production; he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each season from 2020 through 2024. Washington selected McLaurin in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, after he played college football at Ohio State. The franchise changed its name from the Washington Football Team to the Washington Commanders on February 2, 2022.

Original sources

4 of 5 articles · US/Canada · Show all

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