Washington has been able to stay afloat offensively without McLaurin, scoring 24 or more points in each of the Chiefs’ last three games while averaging 192.6 yards per contest. McLaurin’s injury has also coincided with a two-week absence for quarterback Jayden Daniels, forcing Washington to move on with veteran backup Marcus Mariota and a depleted receiving corps headlined by Deebo Samuel, who was out for the season.
Washington went 1-1 without Daniels and has won one of three games without McLaurin.
Samuel’s status for Sunday is also uncertain due to a bruised heel. Quinn sounded more optimistic that the 29-year-old could play on Sunday, while Samuel told reporters “we’ll just have to see” how he does with an admittedly “worsening” heel problem.
“He was able to get reps today,” the coach said. “The plan was to see where he would step up. So it was nice to see him get a lot of stuff today.”
Fortunately, Daniels looked much more like himself in Monday night’s last-second loss to Chicago, accounting for 263 scrimmage yards (211 passing, 52 rushing). Against a struggling Dallas defense, the Chiefs should have an easier time even without McLaurin involved, helping to explain why Washington remains cautious about McLaurin’s return.