The Washington Commanders fear Terry McLaurin’s left knee injury is a serious one. Dan Quinn said after Monday night’s 23-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers that the injury “could be significant,” and McLaurin will undergo more tests on Tuesday to find out how bad it is. Across the field, Kyle Shanahan said Mike Evans left with the same Achilles tendinitis that kept him out of practice all of last week and that he does not expect the receiver to need further imaging.
- Commanders: WR Terry McLaurin (left knee) carted off in the first quarter, more tests Tuesday; Quinn says “there’s fear” it is significant
- Commanders: DT Javon Kinlaw (knee) ruled out late in the first half
- 49ers: WR Mike Evans (right Achilles tendinitis) out after halftime; Shanahan does not expect more tests and hopes he plays Sunday
- 49ers: LB Luke Gifford (groin) and CB Upton Stout (shoulder) left and did not return
- 49ers: WR Christian Kirk (calf) “a possibility” for Sunday at Atlanta
Terry McLaurin carted off with an air cast
McLaurin went down with 2:16 left in the first quarter. He tried to cut sharply to the outside on a route on third-and-9, and Jayden Daniels was sacked on the play. McLaurin was taken off the field on a cart with an air cast on his left knee, John Keim reported, and the Commanders ruled him out a short time later. He had already caught a 27-yard pass on Washington’s opening drive, which ended in a Drew Stevens field goal.
Quinn did not have a diagnosis after the game and did not want to say much before the scans. Asked what the results might show, he said, “There’s fear.” Nicki Jhabvala reported the same message: the team fears a significant knee injury but is waiting on Tuesday’s tests.
Daniels said he did not see the whole play. “He’s a brother to me. You know, it just sucks because you see how hard he works,” he said. “Just praying for Terry, man. He’s been there for me through a lot since I came in this league. And obviously the adverse times I went through last year and so far this year, he’s been right by my side.”
McLaurin, 31, came into the game second on the team with 15 catches and first with 230 receiving yards, with one touchdown. He already missed the Week 4 game against Indianapolis after hurting a hamstring two days before kickoff, and he sat out seven games in 2025, which ended a run of 72 straight games played.
Javon Kinlaw also hurt; Washington heads into its bye
Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw hurt his knee late in the first half and was ruled out for the rest of the game. The team has given no further update.
Washington has some time before it has to decide anything. The 1-4-1 Commanders are on their bye in Week 7 and next play on Nov. 1, at home against the Philadelphia Eagles. Without McLaurin on Monday, Daniels leaned on Chig Okonkwo, Treylon Burks and Stefon Diggs to rally from a 20-3 halftime deficit. David Aldridge pointed out that Van Jefferson and Jaden Bradley are on the practice squad if Washington needs another receiver.
Mike Evans: tendinitis, not a new injury
Evans did not practice on Thursday, Friday or Saturday while managing the Achilles and a rib injury, and he was listed as questionable. Shanahan said Evans told him he could play. “It was a pretty close call in terms of that he wasn’t able to go all week, but just talking to Mike, just something he has dealt with in the past in his career and he felt confident to be good today,” Shanahan said. “That was the confidence he gave me, but we knew he might not be able to last.”
Evans had three catches for 94 yards, including a 54-yarder, before he went down after a 16-yard catch with 1:10 left in the second quarter, with San Francisco up 13-3. He stretched his right leg on the turf and then walked straight to the locker room with the help of the medical staff. The 49ers first listed him as questionable to return and ruled him out early in the third quarter.
Shanahan called it the “same thing that was bothering him all week.” When he was asked whether Evans would need more tests or imaging, he said, “I don’t believe so.” He also said he does not think it is a long-term problem. “When you have Achilles tendonitis like he does, it kind of is what it is,” Shanahan said. “I hope he recovers throughout the week, but you don’t think it’s a long-term thing. … Hopefully he’ll be able to play next week, but if not, we’ll have to have the rest of the group step up and hopefully get him healed up by after the bye week.”
The 49ers’ receiver room gets thinner
San Francisco was already playing without Ricky Pearsall (knee), De’Zhaun Stribling (ankle), Demarcus Robinson (ankle), Deebo Samuel Sr. (hamstring) and Christian Kirk (calf). That left Jordan Watkins, Brandin Cooks, Jacob Cowing and Malik Turner for the second half, and Nick Wagoner reported that the four combined for two catches and 35 yards. The 49ers scored only three points after halftime as Washington came back.
Kirk, whose practice window opened last week, is the closest to a return. “He’s a possibility for next week,” Shanahan said, adding that Kirk had two good practices but that they were his first two of the year. Wagoner reported that Shanahan does not expect Robinson to be ready for Atlanta and that Robinson and Samuel are more likely to come back after the bye. Shanahan was asked whether the team would look for help from outside. “It’s tough, especially also on a short week,” he said. “It’s what you got practice squad guys for. … We’ll see how our guys heal up. … We’ve got enough guys in our building, so we’ll put a plan together and see how it goes.”
Gifford and Stout also left
Two more 49ers did not finish the game. Linebacker Luke Gifford hurt his groin, and cornerback Upton Stout, who was questionable coming in with a shoulder problem, left with a shoulder injury. Shanahan said both had to be replaced in key spots, with Ashtyn Davis stepping in for Stout during important snaps in the fourth quarter. Shanahan did not give a further update on either.
What comes next
The 6-0 49ers play at Atlanta on Sunday, their last game before the Week 8 bye, so Wednesday’s first practice report will show whether Evans, Kirk, Gifford and Stout are working. Washington is off this week, so the first real news on McLaurin should come from Tuesday’s tests.
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