Commanders ‘Most Trusted Target’ WR Terry McLaurin: NFL MVP Candidate?
The NFL is a passing game and the Washington Commanders know they need a quarterback in order to fully maximize their team potential within it.
Armed with that knowledge the Commanders have trotted out nine different starting quarterbacks to throw to star receiver Terry McLaurin in his four NFL seasons.
In a world where quarterbacks don’t always win the NFL’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, it’s McLaurin who would lead the charge as Washington’s most likely recipient of the award.
“If the Commanders are going to contend this season in a tough division, they’ll be doing it with a new quarterback,” says NFL.com. “Whether it’s Sam Howell or Jacoby Brissett throwing the majority of the passes this season, McLaurin is almost certain to be their most trusted target.”
McLaurin is a good choice here, even with a defense full of talents like linemen Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Montez Sweat, and Chase Young.
But it’s also important to note the Commanders don’t have just McLaurin manning a top-shelf receiving corps.
Something that wasn’t lost on NFL.com’s analysis of MVP caliber players outside of the quarterback positions.
“The Commanders are very top-heavy at receiver with McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel,” NFL.com continued. “And all three will get plenty of work. But McLaurin is the best of the bunch for now — though Dotson could overtake him one of these years — because of his massive reliability factor and ability to make clutch plays.”
Of course, this is analysis is based on the possibility that a player outside of the quarterback position could ever win the award, something that hasn’t happened since 2012 when Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson pulled off the feat.
No receiver has ever won the award, so in order for the Washington star to win it he’d likely have to have at least the best season a receiver has ever had.
That would start with McLaurin winning the Triple Crown by leading the NFL in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.
And if that happened, we still may not get to celebrate a Commanders NFL MVP receiver, but we’d almost certainly get some playoff football in the DMV.
And that might be a pretty solid consolation prize.
Find David Harrison on the Locked On Commanders podcast or text him directly at (202) 760-2188.
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