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3 hours ago
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As the Washington Commanders prepare to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday's NFC Championship Game, one player who has more than paid his dues to get there is star WR Terry McLaurin.
During his media availability Wednesday, McLaurin shared an anecdote from the start of the season that he claims let him know this team might be special.
According to McLaurin, during head coach Dan Quinn's first meeting with the team, he told his players "If you're a dog-a** competitor, this is the place for you." McLaurin then remarked that he sat up in his seat and smiled, because "That’s what I've been itching for."
It's high praise for Quinn, as well as a harsh indictment on the former regimes in Washington that McLaurin has played under. With both Jay Gruden and Ron Rivera in charge, the energy surrounding the Commanders was simply not the same.
McLaurin was drafted in 2019, the same season in which Gruden was fired following an 0-5 start. Rivera then entered the picture the following year, and while he did an admirable job during the 2020 season in leading Washington to the playoffs while overcoming many distractions off the field (including his own battle with cancer), he ultimately proved to be a retread who the game had passed by.
Quinn was hired this past offseason, and helped inject a passionate vibe into the atmosphere that has been felt by all his players. McLaurin has enjoyed a career-best season in 2024-25, with 1,096 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns during the regular season and 176 additional yards with two more scores during the playoffs. With a quality QB in Jayden Daniels throwing him the ball and a system that utilizes him, McLaurin has gone from a "pretty good" WR to an elite one.
The ascension of McLaurin and the Commanders has taken many by surprise this season, but for "Scary Terry" himself, it seems he knew from the start that this team was in for a treat.
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