Terry McLaurin and the Washington Commanders are still in a contract dispute, with the star receiver not participating in training. This is gradually becoming a problem for offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.

The NFL saga surrounding Terry McLaurin and his unsuccessful contract negotiations with the Washington Commanders continues to preoccupy the franchise and is gradually having a direct impact on the team’s performance.

The 29-year-old has not taken the field once during training camp, which is making life increasingly difficult for offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Kingsbury has now increased the pressure on his star receiver accordingly.

“We’re at the point where we need to get the guys out there and get them together as soon as they’re available to see where we stand offensively,” Kingsbury said on the sidelines of a training session when asked directly about the situation surrounding McLaurin.

There are only three weeks left until the start of the regular season, but a solution is not in sight. McLaurin does not want to go into the season with only one year left on his contract and no long-term security. At the end of July, he demanded a trade, triggering the next stage of escalation, but not much has happened since then.

Time is running out for the Commanders

Although the wide receiver is at training camp, he has been placed on the PUP list. However, it is questionable whether McLaurin is really injured or whether this is more of a formality. There is a lot to suggest the latter.

Either way, one thing is clear: when a key member of the offense is not participating in training, it’s a problem for any team. It’s about automatisms, rehearsing plays, and also the player’s own fitness.

Especially since quarterback Jayden Daniels needs all the support he can get ahead of his second year. After all, it’s safe to assume that defenses have studied Kingsbury’s spectacular Commanders offense extensively over the past year and know exactly what to do to stop it.

That’s why Washington itself needs to come up with new ideas to make its offense more flexible. The absence of a key player is a major disadvantage for this. Time is running out – against Washington, Kingsbury, and McLaurin.