Terry McLaurin has played with multiple quarterbacks since the Washington Commanders drafted him in 2019. Dwayne Haskins, Alex Smith, Kyle Allen, Case Keenum, Carson Wentz, Colt McCoy, Garrett Gilbert and Taylor Heinicke have all thrown passes to McLaurin.
McLaurin, at different times, has praised all of his quarterbacks because he’s a great guy and teammate. But, of all of the quarterbacks he’s played with, it’s Heinicke with whom he has the strongest rapport.
Through the first six weeks, there was a lot of chatter about Washington not doing enough to get McLaurin the football. It was a weekly conversation. It wasn’t as if Wentz wasn’t trying, but he seemed more inclined to spread the ball around.
When Wentz went down with an injury in Week 6, it meant McLaurin got his guy back.
Things startled slowly for McLaurin in Week 7 vs. the Packers. However, he and Heinicke took over in the second half. On the Commanders’ first possession in the third quarter, Heinicke threw a dime to McLaurin for a touchdown. Washington never trailed again.
After the game, McLaurin seemed happier than normal when discussing Heinicke, offering long answers about what he brings to the team.
On Wednesday, it was Heinicke’s turn.
“I can’t say enough about Terry,” Heinicke said. “He’s the pro’s pro. Everything he does on the field and off the field, he’s a guy that you don’t wanna let down. So, you know that that’s part of it. Again, he knows how to talk to you. It’s not one of those he’s gonna get up in your face and yell at you. He’s gonna approach you in a professional manner but also put a little fire in you, and that’s what he did on Sunday. I can’t think of him enough for that.”
Heinicke got off to a poor start Sunday before settling down. Once Heinicke found McLaurin, he played more confidently, and Washington was off to the races.
Heinicke discussed McLaurin’s leadership.
“Yeah. Again, he’s a true professional,” he said of McLaurin. “You never hear anything bad about him. There’s not one guy on the team that can say anything bad about him. The guy, he’s awesome. He’s a great friend, he’s a great teammate and he’s someone you don’t want to let down.”
Finally, Heinicke was asked why he targeted McLaurin so much. Heinicke kept it simple.
“He’s our best receiver, and I just try and give him a chance,” Heinicke said. “He’s proven year in and year out that he can make those plays. So, you know, when I see him one on one, I want to give him that chance, and he’s continued to make those plays.”
On Sunday, McLaurin returns home to Indianapolis for the first time as an NFL player, and you can be certain that Heinicke will help him have a grand homecoming.
