It didn't take Carson Wentz very long to start talking about Terry McLaurin when he arrived in Washington back in March.
In his introductory press conference, the quarterback spoke of his initial impressions of the wide receiver when they first played each other during the 2019 season. Though both meetings ended in Eagles wins, McLaurin made his mark on the games.
"I watched him light us up in Philly, and I was like, 'That dude's special,'" Wentz told Julie Donaldson in the spring.
In fact, Wentz was so impressed by McLaurin's play against his team that season that he felt compelled to say something, telling the rookie after one of their matchups, "I'd love to throw you the ball someday."
Following the signing of his contract extension last week, McLaurin revealed he has also long held his new quarterback in high regard. As he gears up for his fourth season in Washington, the wideout has expressed excitement about getting to play with Wentz and praised the signal caller's abilities.
In many ways, McLaurin and Wentz were having similar thoughts during that Week 1 game in 2019. It seems as if the two were taking turns in that admiration act at Lincoln Financial Field.
"I remember watching him play and the way he threw a deep ball, I was almost enamored by it," McLaurin said.
Witnessing that throwing skill and thinking about McLaurin's speed, there's little wondering why the receiver felt that way: the two talents together is "match-made-in-heaven" kind of stuff. Beyond the throws themselves, McLaurin was impressed by Wentz's toughness in the pocket and what he does to get in the position he needs to be in to make throws.
"I don't think a lot of people give him enough credit," McLaurin said. "He stands back there into the last moment, which really helps receivers get that extra separation or that time to finish their routes off."
McLaurin was familiar with these attributes before Wentz became a Commander. What couldn't be surmised from playing against him or watching film though is how personable Wentz is, a quality McLaurin has taken notice of in the last several weeks.
"He's somebody that we've connected with on a very personal level since he's gotten here," McLaurin said of Wentz. "Even throughout the process, he was reaching out to me, checking in on me. I was asking how practice was going and things like that. That's why I can't wait to get out there and start throwing with him because now we get to put the football together and we get to start to form that connection on the field."
When McLaurin said he couldn't wait, he wasn't just speaking metaphorically. As he made these comments about Wentz, he was just minutes away from getting on a plane to go meet his new quarterback in California for a player-led workout.
McLaurin is determined to make a priority for as long as the two play in Washington together.
"I really want to develop and make [the relationship with Wentz] as strong as possible," McLaurin explained. "So, he knows he can trust not only me as a player, but as a person and that I got his back."
