Sports
Commanders activate WR McLaurin off PUP list
ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders have activated Terry McLaurin off the physically unable to perform list, the team announced Saturday.
The move is the next step in his progression and is unrelated to contract negotiations, coach Dan Quinn said.
“Definitely separate,” Quinn said. “This is about his getting ready.”
McLaurin is now eligible to practice, though the Commanders typically have players activated off PUP work with trainers on a separate field first.
Washington likes to run a lot of no-huddle and hurry-up on offense — it was the second-fastest offense in terms of time between snaps last season, according to ESPN Research — so it wants to give McLaurin three weeks of conditioning before the opener.
Quinn pointed out that PUP is focused on rehab; the Commanders can now focus on McLaurin’s return to the field. It’s doubtful that he would play in the third and final preseason game a week from today vs. Baltimore. The goal has been to get McLaurin ready for the Sept. 7 season opener vs. the New York Giants.
Quinn said that it was “important” to activate McLaurin and that this begins the process of getting him work in walk-throughs, then continuing to hit markers that suggest he’s ready for a full workload. McLaurin has been at the facility since July 27, rehabbing an ankle issue that has plagued him at various times in his career — including at the end of last season.
Quinn, when asked whether it was a mutual decision by both sides for McLaurin to come off PUP, said they were just following the guidelines.
“He’s on the same trajectory as everybody else, [receiving treatments] doing workouts and making good strides,” Quinn said.
McLaurin has served as a captain for most of his Washington tenure and remains highly respected in the locker room.
“I can’t say enough great things,” center Tyler Biadasz said. “Hopefully he comes back on the field and we get him back. We’re always excited for it.”
The Commanders placed McLaurin on the PUP list, citing an ankle injury that bothered him late in the season, when he reported to camp July 27 following a four-day holdout. McLaurin was fined $200,000 for missing that time. By reporting, he could no longer be fined.
If he were to sit out games, McLaurin would lose a game check for each week missed, including the bye week. McLaurin would forfeit $861,111 for each week missed. There’s not yet any indication McLaurin would sit out.
The two sides have been far apart in negotiations since they started discussing a deal earlier in the offseason, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. McLaurin had said in an interview a week before camp opened that he would not return to the field until there was “progression” in the talks.
McLaurin has one year remaining on a three-year, $68 million extension he signed in 2022. According to multiple reports and league sources, McLaurin has targeted the deal DK Metcalf received from the Pittsburgh Steelers — four years at $33 million per season with $60 million guaranteed.
Washington has not come close to that per year figure, sources said. Some in the league believe the Commanders could eventually get to $28 million per year.
McLaurin requested a trade July 31, but team sources have said over the past several months that they have no intention of trading him.
Though he was at the facility, McLaurin would only emerge after practice to sign autographs for fans. But he did watch from the sideline during the team’s burgundy-and-gold intrasquad scrimmage Tuesday, along with other injured players. Before that session, he spoke with general manager Adam Peters on the sideline.
McLaurin, coming off his second Pro Bowl appearance, was second in the NFL with a career-best 13 touchdown receptions — as well as 10 red zone scoring catches — in 2024. He has topped 1,000 yards for five consecutive seasons, although he has not yet surpassed 1,200 yards.
Last month, in a 30-minute interview with reporters, McLaurin expressed deep frustration with the lack of progress in their talks.
“I want to continue my career here. I’ve created my life here. My wife and I bought our first home here. So this has been somewhere I’ve always wanted to be. Just to see how things have played out has been disappointing,” he said. “I understand everything’s a business. But at the same time, I want to put myself in a position where I’m valued, I feel appreciated and things like that. Unfortunately, that hasn’t transpired the way I want it to.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday Washington had no objections to Iranian players participating in the 2026 Fifa World Cup but he added the players will not be allowed to bring with them people with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“Nothing from the US has told them they can’t come,” Rubio told reporters.
President Donald Trump also said his administration “would not want to affect the athletes” in comments he made at the White House.
The 2026 soccer World Cup is set to begin on June 11 across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Paolo Zampolli, a Trump envoy who has no official connection with the World Cup, had earlier suggested that Italy should replace Iran at the tournament.
“The problem with Iran would be not their athletes. It would be some of the other people they would want to bring with them, some of whom have ties to the IRGC. We may not be able to let them in but not the athletes themselves,” Rubio said.
“They can’t bring a bunch of IRGC terrorists into our country and pretend that they are journalists and athletic trainers,” Rubio added. Washington has designated the IRGC as a “foreign terrorist organisation.”
Currently there is no suggestion Iran will withdraw or be banned from the tournament that Italy missed out on.
After the start of the Iran war, Iran requested that Fifa move the team’s three group matches from the US to Mexico, which was rejected.
The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states with US bases. US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions. A fragile ceasefire in the Iran war began over two weeks ago.
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Cameras showed former New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch in the team’s draft room Thursday night during the first round.
At one point, Tisch was seen standing near Giants head coach John Harbaugh. Despite no longer holding a majority stake in the NFL franchise, Tisch remains the Giants’ chairman of the board.
ESPN obtained an NFL memo last month detailing plans by Steve Tisch and his siblings to transfer their stake in the Giants to trusts for their children.
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New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch warms up before the NFL game between the Washington Redskins and New York Giants at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Oct. 28, 2018. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)
“Prior transfers to these Trusts were completed pursuant to 2023 and 2024 Finance Committee approvals,” the memo stated. “The Sellers now propose to transfer their entire remaining interests, totaling 23.1% of the Club, to the Trusts. … Following the transactions, the Sellers will no longer own any interest in the Club.”
It was not clear if the transfer requests were in any way related to Tisch’s name appearing in the Epstein files released by the U.S. Justice Department in January. Tisch’s name came up more than 400 times in the files. Tisch at the time said he knew Epstein but denied visiting Epstein’s island.
As for draft night, the Giants made what some viewed as an unconventional pick at No. 10, selecting offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa.
Francis Mauigoa of Miami celebrates after being selected as the tenth overall pick by the New York Giants during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on April 23, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Before that, the Giants added another piece to their pass rush, selecting hybrid edge/off-ball linebacker Arvell Reese at No. 5.
Reese earned All-American honors at Ohio State and finished his first season as a full-time starter with 6.5 sacks.
Arvell Reese of Ohio State celebrates after being selected as the fifth overall pick by the New York Giants during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on April 23, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
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Reese is set to join a pass rush that includes Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and, likely, Kayvon Thibodeaux.
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One of the most intriguing stories entering the first round of the NFL Draft was where Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson might land. Well, fans got their answer sooner than they expected.
The Los Angeles Rams surprisingly selected Simpson with the No. 13 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The selection isn’t completely out of left field and is arguably the best-case scenario for Simpson. The Rams have Matthew Stafford as their starter for 2026, but Stafford has flirted with the idea of retirement each of the past two offseasons. It’s clear the clock is ticking on his NFL career.
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The Los Angeles Rams pulled a stunner and drafted Alababam QB Ty Simpson with the No. 13 pick in the NFL Draft. (CFP/Getty Images)
Now, Simpson gets to sit behind one of the NFL’s best veteran quarterbacks, learn the position while adapting to life in the NFL, and not face immediate pressure to succeed. Additionally, the Rams are one of the most well-run franchises in the league right now. Sean McVay is an elite head coach who led the team to a Super Bowl victory to cap the 2021 season and just had the team within one win of another Super Bowl berth before falling to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship.
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The most surprising aspect is the Rams looking toward the future, quite frankly. This is a team that has had no problem trading away first-round picks to make its team the best it can be each season. It seemed most likely the team would use the No. 13 pick to improve its team for next season, which could be Stafford’s last. Instead, the team decided to put itself in position for Stafford’s retirement without skipping a beat.
Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford, now 38-years-old, has flirted with retirement after each of the past two seasons. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
There were several surprises in the first 13 picks of the 2026 NFL Draft: the Cardinals taking Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 3, the Titans selecting Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate at No. 4, the Kansas City Chiefs trading up to take LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane at No. 6 and even the Cowboys trading up one spot to make sure they drafted Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11.
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But the Rams completely abandoning their recent strategy (usually trading away first-round picks and loading up for now) to select Stafford’s heir apparent is easily the biggest early shock of the 2026 NFL Draft.
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