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With a new general manager, head coach and new quarterback, the Washington Commanders have fully hit the reset button heading into the 2024 campaign. NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning has taken notice and has admired Washington’s offseason strategy.
The Commanders landed their quarterback of the future when they drafted Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick. As he gets acclimated to Washington, he’ll soon find Terry McLaurin to be one of his most trusted pass catchers. While he has been impressed by his NFL acumen, Manning says he knew of McLaurin’s talents way before Washington, via JP Finlay of NBC4 Sports.
“I’m a big fan of Terry, he’s an Indianapolis kid I [knew] about him in high school,” Manning said. “I’m gonna draft Jayden and Terry on my fantasy team.”
As for the quarterback throwing passes to McLaurin, Manning had nothing but praise for Daniels. While he will be thrown into an immediate fire, Manning thinks he has what it takes to succeed.
“I’m a big fan of your quarterback. I got to know Jayden, he was at our camp last year. I’m excited about him.”
If Daniels is going to have any success as a rookie, he’ll need to rely on McLaurin in the open field. While Daniels has plenty of talent to make plays in his own right, McLaurin is Washington’s best skill position player. He has made a name for himself making plays for the Commanders.
Now with Daniels under center, Manning is expected an offensive explosion in Washington.
What Terry McLaurin offers Jayden Daniels as WR1
McLaurin was selected by the then Washington Redskins in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He made an immediate impact, catching 58 passes for 919 yards and what is still a career-high seven touchdown passes. The only thing he didn’t do was surpass 1,000 yards.
Not to worry, as his rookie year was the only season McLaurin hasn’t broken the 1,000 yard threshold in his NFL career. Over his five years with the Commanders, McLaurin has caught 378 passes for 5,283 yards and 25 touchdowns. He was named a Pro Bowler in 2022.
During his tenure in Washington, McLaurin has only seen a quarterback throw for 3,000+ yards twice. First in 2021 when Taylor Heinicke had 3,419. But that came with a 20/15 TD/INT ratio. Sam Howell threw for 3,946 yards in 2023, but had a 21/21 TD/INT. Outside of them, no other quarterback has 2,000 yards passing with McLaurin in town.
With a player like Jayden Daniels now under center, Terry McLaurin is hoping his numbers explode even further. Daniels broke onto the scene in 2023, winning the Heisman with LSU. He threw for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and four interceptions while gaining another 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.
McLaurin has been a star in Washington, but his ceiling has been capped due to poor quarterback play. With Daniels, the Commanders are hoping to truly unlock their star receiver. Peyton Manning thinks Washington has a strong tandem on offense and a core to get back on the right track.
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