Kliff Kingsbury sends a message to Terry McLaurin

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2 days ago

The Terry McLaurin saga continues. Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury fielded questions about McLaurin on Friday, and he didn't back down. First, he was asked about how much work he's getting with the wideout, then more questions followed. You'll notice a common theme in Kingsbury's answers: he puts a heavy value on getting his guys on the field.
"Yeah, there hasn't been a ton of contact with him," Kingsbury replied. "He's been here, but he's been working with the trainers, so until he gets back on the grass, that's when we'll start building that back up."
The next question is around McLaurin's relationship with Jayden Daniels and his understanding of the offensive scheme.
"You know, that's one of those deals where it's time on task, and luckily, what they had last year built a lot of rapport and chemistry. Terry understands our system going into year two, so that should expedite the process, but to me, time on task together on the grass is really the only way that you can continue to build."
Time on the grass was a common theme throughout Kingsbury's answers, so he was asked about the work he's getting with McLaurin in the classroom, and what the value of that is.
"I think not as much as we would if he was a full go, there's no doubt. But, like I said, I'm huge on walkthroughs, on practice, and things like that because until you get on the grass and actually do it and feel the timing, feel the depths of routes and things, I don't know exactly how much you can get out of that. So, I think we're at the point where we need to start getting those guys, when they're available, out here and gelling and seeing what we are as an offense."
Again, the common theme is getting the guys on the grass. You can read the playbook, study film, do walkthroughs and drills, but until you do a full workout at game speed, there's no real measure of what the offense can do.
While most of the starters sat out against the New England Patriots, McLaurin's absence had a clear impact on this team. Their performance was not great, and the Commanders most definitely need him back on the field. The question still remains, though, will they open their wallets or force Scary Terry to play this season under his current contract with no extension, allowing him to hit free agency in the spring?
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Kliff Kingsbury sends messge to Terry McLaurin