The Washington Commanders moved quickly to address a sudden hole in their wide receiver room on Wednesday, 2026, elevating veteran Van Jefferson from the practice squad to the active roster after placing Terry McLaurin on injured reserve, the team announced.
McLaurin, the team’s longtime No. 1 option, suffered a torn patellar tendon in the Week 6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers and will miss the remainder of the season following surgery.
With the 31-year-old sidelined, Jefferson becomes an immediate depth option as the Commanders navigate the rest of their schedule.
Jefferson, 30, brings a decade of professional experience and a Super Bowl ring to a receiving group that now leans more heavily on its remaining starters and rotational pieces.
Drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round (57th overall) out of Florida in 2020 after earlier stops at Ole Miss, he caught 50 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns in 2021, the year the Rams won Super Bowl LVI.
Over his career he has recorded 166 receptions for 2,226 yards and 13 touchdowns across stints with the Rams, Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tennessee Titans.
Last season with the Titans, he posted 29 catches for 350 yards and a score in 16 games before a forearm injury ended his year.
The Commanders signed him to a one-year deal in March 2026, then waived him during final roster cuts in late August before bringing him back to the practice squad in early September.
That path is common for experienced free agents seeking a foothold late in their careers, and the elevation gives him a chance to contribute while McLaurin recovers.
At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Jefferson has long been regarded as a reliable route runner with the ability to stretch the field on intermediate routes and contribute in the red zone, traits that could complement the remaining wideouts on the roster.
The team also added outside linebacker Kyle Kennard to the practice squad as part of the same set of transactions, but the most notable change on offense centers on Jefferson’s promotion.
For a franchise that has relied on McLaurin’s production for years, the move offers a proven, if journeyman, presence while the front office evaluates longer-term options at the position.
Jefferson’s familiarity with multiple schemes and his history of productive stretches under different quarterbacks position him to absorb some of the targets that would otherwise have gone to McLaurin, particularly on third downs and in the intermediate areas of the field.
Whether the elevation proves temporary or leads to a more consistent role will depend on how the Commanders’ remaining wide receivers perform and how the offense adjusts without its top target.
For now, Jefferson steps onto the active roster with a clear opportunity created by an untimely injury to one of the team’s most recognizable players.
