Alex Smith played alongside several receivers during his career, but it did not take long for him to see that Terry McLaurin is one-of-a-kind.

Smith, who was McLaurin's teammate during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, said on a recent episode of the "ESPN Daily" podcast that McLaurin was "one of his favorite teammates, kind of, ever." And yes, being a matchup nightmare for defensive backs certainly helped shape the former quarterback's opinion of him. However, it was McLaurin's approach to the game, which is drastically different from other top receivers, that won Smith over.

"He never had the persona that comes with being a No. 1 receiver, like, 'Get me the ball. I got this,'" Smith said.

The unselfish trait is something McLaurin has had from the moment he joined the league. Of course, he would like to get the ball (he showed how he can affect a game last week with 73 yards and a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers), but that is trumped by his desire to win, even if that means the ball goes to one of Washington's other skill players.

"I don't really go into this season thinking I need to have 1500 yards," McLaurin said after signing his extension. "I think truly you have the most success individually when you have the most success as a team."

Smith noted that his humility should not be confused for a lack of competitiveness. During their time together, he knew that McLaurin was "just a monster."

"When he's covered one-on-one, just throw him the ball because good stuff's gonna happen," Smith said. "He's gonna come down with it, it's gonna be a P.I., he is going to compete his tail off for that ball. And that's really rare."

And in the two seasons since Smith has retired, that has not changed. He came down with several clutch receptions, including a 12-yard grab on a third-and-9 in the fourth quarter that dealt a serious blow to Green Bay's chances at victory.

"He single-handedly, I think, won this ball game for Washington."

Here's a morning roundup of what the local and national media have to say about the Washington Commanders on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. All reports, rumors and conjecture are a reflection of the media conversation and are not endorsed or confirmed by the Washington Commanders.

The reports and deals expressed in this article have not been confirmed by Washington, nor do they reflect any insider information from anyone in the front office.

• ESPN's John Keim writes that Washington is following a similar formula for its win streak.
• The Washington Times' Matthew Paras writes that Washington's run game is starting to work as envisioned.
• The Washington Times' Matthew Paras writes about the Commanders' run game.
• The Washington Post's Nicki Jhabvala writes about Washington's 'cleaned up' defense.
• NBC Sports Washington's Bijan Todd reports on Chase Young's return from IR.
• The Athletic's Ben Standig also looks at Young's expected return to practice this week.
• The Washington Post's Nicki Jhabvala writes about Washington getting its second win over the Packers.
• The Washington Post's Scott Allen gives his four takeaways from the Commanders' win over the Packers.
• The Washington Post's Sam Fortier takes a look at the Commanders' offensive formula against the Packers.
• The Washington Times' Jacob Calvin Meyer writes about the Commanders' defense leading them to a win.
• The Washington Times' Matthew Paras writes about the Commanders hanging on to beat the Packers.
• NBC Sports Washington's Ethan Cadeaux writes about Taylor Heinicke and Terry McLaurin finding their identity.

Check Out What's On Commanders.com:

• From the booth | Terry McLaurin reminded everyone why he's so scary
• Heinicke's second half vs. Packers shows why Commanders have 'tremendous amount of faith in what he can do'
• Commanders sign DaMarcus Fields to practice squad
• Third down stops highlight progress made by defense
• Numbers to know from Washington's win over Green Bay
• Commanders-Packers Stats & Snaps
• Game balls | Gibson, McLaurin, defense shine in win over Packers
• Media roundup | Rivera calls victory over Packers 'a team effort'
• 5 takeaways from Washington's win over the Packers
• Instant Analysis | Commanders put together complete team effort in win over Packers