ASHBURN — Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin spoke in front of a unique backdrop on Wednesday for the first time in his career — one proudly marking Sunday’s NFC Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles.
McLaurin has been the face of the franchise’s suffering in recent years — recording five consecutive 900-yard seasons while catching passes from 10 different quarterbacks from 2019 through 2023.
He’s practically pinching himself with rookie sensation Jayden Daniels leading the offense on an unlikely playoff run.
“It’s been a great run so far. It’s great to be part of this, but we’re not celebrating or reminiscing because the job’s not done yet,” McLaurin said Wednesday. “We’re looking forward to the challenge this weekend, but I’m proud of the way that we continue to get better each and every week.”
Many long-suffering Washington Commanders fans are having trouble believing their team will play for the NFC Championship on Sunday afternoon. The same can’t be said for the long-time players who are hoping to send the franchise to the Super Bowl for the first time in more than 30 years; they’ve always been confident.
“We still haven’t reached our ceiling,” the receiver said of his relationship with the rookie. “To feel that way in this part of the season, I couldn’t ask for more.”
McLaurin, along with fellow Commanders lifers like defensive tackle Jon Allen and punter Tress Way, is in uncharted territory. After hundreds of combined games in burgundy and gold, they’re playing for a Super Bowl berth for the first time in their careers.
But those veterans will be without longtime teammate Sam Cosmi, the right guard who has anchored the line for the constant carousel of quarterbacks. The locker room leader suffered a season-ending ACL tear during Saturday’s upset win over the Detroit Lions.
He’ll be watching the remainder of the postseason from the sidelines.
“What a dream this season has been for me,” Cosmi, a 2021 second-round pick, wrote on Instagram. “To see the DMV full of pride after years of waiting has brought me so much joy. Getting to play alongside my brothers every day, fighting for something bigger than myself, is something I’m incredibly grateful for.”
The veteran Commanders couldn’t lead the turnaround on their own. General manager Adam Peters overhauled the roster in his first season, adding 26 free agents to remodel the squad that finished 4-13 last season.
It worked.
A combination of hungry up-and-comers like linebacker Frankie Luvu and safety Jeremy Chinn headlined the offseason moves alongside veteran additions — tight end Zach Ertz, defensive captain Bobby Wagner and guard Nick Allegretti have all won Super Bowls.
They were all eager for a postseason run.
“It feels special,” Luvu said after Wednesday’s practice. In six seasons with the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets, he never saw a winning campaign, let alone a postseason run.
But this year, patrolling the middle of the field with Wagner, he became an All-Pro for the first time. He said he’s honored, but he won’t bask in the accomplishments until the season ends.
“All my emotions and everything are just on mute. It’s my first time being in the NFC Championship, and I’m just happy I’ve got [Daniels] on the other side to make things happen,” Luvu said. “I’m just trying to do my part.”
The combination of franchise stalwarts and fresh faces has the Commanders within spitting distance of their first Super Bowl since 1992. But the roster isn’t satisfied with being a feel-good story, according to the players and coaches in the facility every day.
They said they’ve heard the disrespect since the preseason, when sportsbooks thought the rebuilding franchise would win 6.5 games in Daniels’ rookie campaign. But Quinn never called it a rebuild; it was always a “recalibration.”
After the season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington’s first-year coach heard voices outside the building express condolences. Rebuilds are hard, they said.
“I felt dismissed. ‘Hey, man, hang in there. It’s going to be a long time,’” Quinn said Wednesday. “I was like, ‘Hey, f you. That’s not how it’s going to go down.’ I was upset, but it wasn’t disrespect; it was dismissiveness.”
More than four months later, Quinn’s squad has a date in Philadelphia with a chance to make the Super Bowl.
“Our journey isn’t done yet,” Cosmi wrote. “Go win it all, boys.”
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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