Two of the Washington Commanders‘ biggest offseason moves are directly tied to one another. Had the Commanders not been able to land a better quarterback by trading for Carson Wentz, who knows how contract negotiations would have gone with Terry McLaurin?
But now that the organization has committed to both players, the pair appear set for a big season in their first year together in Washington, and Scary Terry can’t wait to get started.
Terry McLaurin touts ‘personal relationship’ with Carson Wentz
Even before Washington had Carson Wentz, Terry McLaurin has been terrorizing defenses ever since his rookie season.
Scary Terry doesn’t need an elite quarterback to help him reach 1,000 receiving yards. He’s topped the milestone in two of his first three seasons, coming up just 81 yards shy in 14 games during his rookie season.
But now that he has Wentz, a former Pro Bowl QB, and easily the most talented arm he’s played with in the NFL, McLaurin couldn’t be more excited about his new teammate. The Commanders’ training camp may just be getting underway, but McLaurin didn’t want to wait that long to start building pass-catching chemistry with his new QB.
Fresh off signing a three-year, $68 million contract with the Commanders, McLaurin went down to Southern California for a weekend workout with Wentz and he came away very impressed.
“I think the cool thing is him and I are starting to build [a] really, really good personal relationship, which I think is extremely important. And just being out there and being able to, you know, finally put the action to the words now. It’s not just what the connection could look like with this and that.
Terry McLaurin to Washington Post
McLaurin has worked with enough quarterbacks to understand each player brings something unique to the table, so he wanted to get a feel for how Wentz operates, but he’s had an eye on the QB for some time now.
“I’ve had an admiration for him since he’s been in Philly since my first game of the season. I saw what he can do. And to see that live and go through that and start picking his brain, just start really talking ball, I think that was just one of the best parts of that whole weekend because now we get to start putting the work in and the time in, because without that you can’t really get to what we really want to get to,” said McLaurin.
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Of course, McLaurin also knows the results from working out in shorts and t-shirts don’t mean much. Once the pads are on and the game is sped up, the execution needs to be perfect. While he feels his connection with Wentz is off to a strong start, McLaurin realizes it’s only going to get better once he can get into an actual game-like atmosphere.
“I think the biggest thing I’m looking forward to with Carson specifically is getting in these game-like situations — getting in these third-and-12 or got-to-have-it situations. That’s where you really get a feel for the quarterback’s mindset and his thought process, and he gets to feel where I am as a receiver. That’s where you really form those connections, because throwing on air is great and I think that’s a great chance to just form that chemistry, to get used to throwing and catching the ball. But when you get in those football-like situations, that’s what you’re gonna see come September.
Seeing a QB-WR relationship grow and evolve can be a beautiful thing. We’ve seen in other cases around the league when players can develop such a strong bond, they practically know what each other is thinking seconds ahead of the play development.
Sometimes that split-second moment can be the difference between a touchdown or an interception. This is why it’s crucial to be on the same page. Credit to Wentz and McLaurin for realizing the importance of chemistry and trying to get ahead of the game, before it’s necessary.
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