There is no teammate quite like Terry McLaurin.
It's easy to get down on the ending of the Washington Commanders season, but with the final moments of the season came a selfless team-wide act.
Being a team that stands by each other isn't always easy, and it's even harder when you are dealing with a losing record.
In the final moments of Washington's 38-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the entire team rallied as one to help McLaurin receive a 15-yard reception that put him over 1,000 yards for the fourth consecutive year. This not only set a personal record for McLaurin but broke Washington's franchise record.
The moment was much more than another McLaurin reception. It stands as a sentiment of what it means to be unselfish and see the bigger picture in the most challenging moments.
"It basically came down to the last play," McLaurin said. "And literally everybody on the sideline was like I'll get this for you, I'll block my ass off for you and it kinda made me a little emotional because I think there's a testament to the guys we have this locker room and I think it's a testament to, hopefully, how they feel about me and the leader that I've tried to be for them."
Throughout this season, McLaurin has continued to be an intricate part of the Commanders' locker room, even in the lowest points of the season. His continuous encouragement and devotion to every player exceeded expectations and left a mark in the locker room.
And in turn, his teammates worked down to the final minute to help McLaurin accomplish this milestone.
"Yeah, it was important," Sam Howell said. "Obviously it was Terry, someone that means a lot to me. It means a lot to this team, this organization, and he's just such a great person, great teammate, great friend, and he's always had my back throughout this year, and even last year too. He's just always had my back and you couldn't ask for a better teammate than Terry McLaurin, so he deserves it. It shouldn't have taken this long, but it is what it is. But definitely super happy for him and he definitely deserves it."
Howell and the offensive line spent their final moments of the season, dedicating a play to help their team captain get a career and franchise milestone. For a team to remain as one throughout a tumultuous 18 weeks
"I've tried to put out my all on the table for them each and every day," McLaurin said. "Whether it's advocating for us as a team with the coaches or just out there on the field encouraging guys who are down trying to keep the energy going, so for them to wanna give their all for me to have a record. We're not really playing for anything, I appreciate that from them. That's really what's gonna stick with me: for the love that the coaches and my teammates have for me to get me in history, so I'm indebted to them for that and I'm just thankful for God that he's allowed me to be in this situation and be a leader for this team and organization."
Things will likely look very different come next season for the organization, but the legacy that's been established by McLaurin and a team that was willing to do whatever it took for him to achieve that record is timeless
