Terry McLaurin on track to make the Commanders' offense among the NFL's best

Terry McLaurin accounting for eight catches and 39 yards through the first two games of the season made it look as if the Washington Commanders were not using their highest-paid player enough.

Now, nearly halfway through quarterback Jayden Daniels' rookie year, McLaurin ranks fourth in the NFL with 579 yards receiving and is on pace for the most productive season of his professional career. He and the team are 6-2 for the first time since he entered the league in 2019, and there's a chance McLaurin gets the ball even more in the second half as the Commanders chase a playoff spot.

"Every game with a guy like that you come out of it saying, ‘I wish we could have gotten it to him more,'" offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said Thursday. "He's a guy, you want to make sure every week, if the money's on the table, the ball's going to him."

Early on and for long stretches in games, the ball isn't going to McLaurin. Daniels tried throwing the ball to Washington's top receiver eight times in Week 2, and it did not amount to much.

What has been the difference since? In McLaurin's mind, "Patience."

"Just having some patience and trusting that the work that we've been putting in since the offseason is going to start showing," McLaurin said. "Patience has been the key. Obviously, Jayden has come in a lot more ready than most as a rookie, but at the same time, there's still obviously a learning curve."

Daniels is learning quickly, and he has emerged as the heavy favorite to be AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. Despite only a handful of games of experience at this level, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner seems to have found a balance in not forcing throws to McLaurin.

"When the defense permits it — that's how I know when to give him the