ASHBURN, Va. — At last, normalcy has returned for Terry McLaurin.Mentally, physically and spiritually, the Washington Commanders’ Pro Bowl wide receiver feels better than ever, and the signs of healing and growth have begun manifesting themselves everywhere.For example, take a moment in last Friday’s training camp practice.The 30-year-old McLaurin — entering Year 8 in the NFL — explodes off the line while matched up with fellow veteran Rasul Douglas, and Douglas promptly matches McLaurin’s strides and forces him closer to the left sideline as they race toward the end zone. The coverage is great, the placement of quarterback Jayden Daniels’ pass to McLaurin’s back shoulder is better, and McLaurin’s response is most supreme.At the last second, the 6-foot, 210-pound McLaurin plants his left foot, pirouettes like a ballerina, simultaneously shoots up his hands, plucks the ball from the air and contorts his lower body to get both tiptoes down just across the goal line before tumbling to the ground. In an instant, McLaurin bounces to his feet, flips the ball aside, points at Douglas, nods and smiles.Washington Commanders Camp: New coordinators, Stefon Diggs and moreRobert MaysStunned that McLaurin managed to get both feet down and complete the tough catch, Douglas could only slap his teammate five. But of course McLaurin — the NFL’s leader in contested catches since his rookie year in 2019, according to Pro Football Focus — made another play. It’s what he does. Or, what he did from 2019 to 2024, when he established himself as one of the most consistently productive and reliable receivers in the league.Then came 2025 — a tumultuous year wherein McLaurin found himself at odds with the franchise that drafted him in the third round out of Ohio State and whose fans rank him among the most beloved players of the last decade. Then, after resolving a lengthy contract dispute, McLaurin battled injury for the first time in his career. The strife and misfortune rocked the receiver emotionally and led to a grueling journey only exacerbated by struggles that saw his Commanders go from 12-5 with an NFC Championship Game appearance in 2024 to 5-12 and in need of another reset this past winter.“This last year was the hardest year of my life — from the contract and getting hurt, and you know, I’ve been going through some stuff off the field, just personally,” McLaurin revealed Friday. “It’s been extremely challenging.”But now, fully healthy and nearly a year after he received his three-year, $97 million contract extension, McLaurin counts his blessings.“I’ve seen myself grow as a man, grow spiritually, and grow as a teammate,” McLaurin said. “So I just feel like I’m in a great space. … I wouldn’t trade anything because it’s built me into the person I am right now, and I just feel like I’m playing with a type of freedom that I haven’t had. So I’m just looking forward to spilling that out for my team this year.”Washington and its fans certainly welcome a return to form from “Scary Terry.” For the first six seasons of his career, McLaurin represented one of the few bright spots and sure bets for an organization mired in dysfunction and change.Two owners, four head coaches, four offensive coordinators, four wide receivers coaches, an astounding 15 starting quarterbacks, and yet, McLaurin always delivered. He recorded five straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2020 to 2024, and during his second Pro Bowl season (2024), racked up a career-high 13 touchdown catches.“He’s been able to be consistent because he’s a disciplined route runner, and it says a lot of quarterbacks trust him and a lot of coordinators trust him because they’re trying to get him the ball,” Commanders wide receivers coach Bobby Engram explains. “The mentality of being a relentless competitor and truly believing every ball in the air is his ball, and he’s going to get it, that’s what makes him different.”Terry McLaurin’s uneven 2025 season featured a contract-extension battle and seven games missed due to injury. (Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)McLaurin always understood his importance to Washington’s offense and organization, or so he thought. But last offseason represented his first true exposure to the business of football — the ugly side of the game. As the Commanders’ view of McLaurin’s worth differed drastically from that of McLaurin and his camp, the wide receiver grappled with how to maintain his mental health and self-belief. Described by anyone close to him as a team-first player, McLaurin struggled with how to conduct himself during negotiations. At one point, he requested a trade despite his strong desire to remain loyal to his teammates.Eventually, the sides agreed to an extension. But three weeks into the season, McLaurin again found himself in uncharted territory as a quad strain caused him to miss seven games. (McLaurin sustained the injury in Week 3, missed four games, played in Week 8, aggravated the injury and missed the next three.)Asked to describe the toll both experiences took on him, McLaurin said, “I’ve been somebody who’s kind of struggled with worry, struggled with anxiety, sometimes not feeling good enough. So when you go through contract stuff, when you go through injury, it can kind of make you feel insecure at times.”A 14-year NFL veteran who played for the Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs, Engram knew all too well the struggles his star pupil encountered.“I understood the business side, having played, so we had to let that work itself out, but you never stop supporting the man, and who he is outside of the player. That’s very important to me,” Engram said. “We knew how much he wanted to be with us and be engaged. It was a difficult time. And for any of us that have been injured, we know when guys aren’t around the team, you feel a certain distance, and I didn’t want him to feel that in any way because he was still such a big part of what we were doing.”In addition to Engram, McLaurin said he leaned heavily on his wife, Caitlin, teammates and other family members and friends. The devout Christian also said he dug deeply into the Book of Proverbs to gain wisdom on how to deal with anxiety, worry and his identity outside of football.“My faith has really taught me that Jesus is enough, and that I’m great as I am,” McLaurin said. “I learned when you go through those hard things, (God) is building your character. He’s building your resilience, and he’s building something in you for this world. … I just tried to rest in him and genuinely be a great person for the young guys on this team.”During his recovery, and because he couldn’t help his team in any other way, McLaurin assumed a more vocal leadership role in the receivers room, something that didn’t always come naturally for him.McLaurin eventually did return to the field, playing the final six games of Washington’s lost season. His 1,000-yard streak came to an end at five seasons as he finished the year with just 38 receptions for 582 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games. However, Engram and the Commanders view the growth McLaurin achieved as far more valuable for the long term.“I just see a guy who’s really comfortable being a natural leader now,” Engram said. “It’s been a growth process since I’ve been with Terry. So I’m really proud of how he’s been intentional about that. The work ethic is there, playmaking is still there, but him using his voice more in the locker room has been big.”Said Daniels, “His presence, his voice, I mean, this is a guy that’s been doing it for countless years. … He’s just a true pro, true vet. You guys see him after practice, coaching up the younger guys, giving the game back, the knowledge — just bringing that energy. So last year was last year, but, you know, now we’re happy to step forward.”Like McLaurin, Daniels battled injury off and on during the 2025 season. McLaurin said he believes the two grew closer as teammates, taking turns encouraging each other. Now healthy again, they hope to spearhead a newly designed offense led by rookie coordinator David Blough. The unit appears to have just gained another impactful addition in the form of four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who signed with his hometown team last week.Commanders coaches and officials believe the 32-year-old seven-time 1,000-yard receiver will complement McLaurin nicely. After six seasons of operating as the only consistent receiving threat, McLaurin welcomed the Diggs signing.“It’s kind of like the Spider-Man meme of them pointing at each other,” McLaurin said. “We just have the same mentality on the field: workhorses who want to be perfectionists, but also energy-givers. I need competitors. Dogs. I think we’re going to just elevate one another. The competitiveness of our room is going to continue to elevate. I think when you put a lot of great players on the football field, it forces the defense to have to respect 100 yards vertically, 53 yards the width of the field. And when you bring a guy like Stefon to our team, he’s a winner. … He’s made players better, quarterbacks, receivers, teams; no matter where he’s gone, and he plays with an edge, similar to myself.”When discussing the welcome McLaurin extended to Diggs, Engram said, “He’s a genuine guy that just really wants to be a part of something special in terms of a team environment.”Having overcome the challenges from a year ago, McLaurin believes Washington and its fans are poised to receive the best version of himself yet.“It’s just too good to have everything normal, and I’m just thankful for what I have: being in Year 8 as a third-round pick, being in a place that’s really just welcomed me, to be a No. 1 wide receiver,” McLaurin said. “Like, God doesn’t have to do another thing for me. He’s overly blessed me. So it’s just about, you know, trying to be used as a vessel and give him the glory through my play. And I think that’s really allowed me to kind of take the pressure of trying to perform. I have a contentment in my heart that’s different, but I’m not satisfied.”McLaurin catches himself.“I mean, the satisfaction is just in continuing to put in day-in, day-out work, be the best I can for his glory, and just be a leader out here and try to help (Daniels) and the other guys, and that’s allowed me just to be more free. I’m definitely a testament: When you go through tough times, it really shapes who you are, and it also allows you to know that God’s going to be with you through it.”