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

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — 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 ball,” Daniels said.

Eighteen different receivers have been targeted more than McLaurin this season, but the 29-year-old who has played with a dozen QBs during his time in Washington is not one to make a scene about demanding more attention.

“He never asks for it, Kingsbury said. ”He never comes back and complains. He never gets on the quarterback. He just does his job. And when that guy is doing it like that and blocking and playing without the ball, then everybody else is going to get in line, and that’s kind of the beauty of him."

That doesn't mean McLaurin, who's making more than $24 million, does not want to be counted on. Quite the opposite.

"I just want to continue to be the guy for our offense, where we need a play and they trust me to do that," McLaurin said. “It’s been really fun playing with (Daniels) and the rest of the receiver group that we have because each week it seems like somebody else is making a play to help us win, so I know it doesn’t all fall on me.”

It was Noah Brown on Daniels' Hail Mary touchdown to beat Chicago. But on the play immediately before that, McLaurin caught a 13-yard pass and got out of bounds near midfield to make it all possible.

That reception gave him 40 on the season and put the Ohio State product on track to surpass 1,200 yards in a season for the first time. It's no coincidence this is coming with Kingsbury now in charge of the offense, which is the league's third best and has scored the third-most points.

“He’s allowed me to really open up a part of my game that I always feel like it’s been there, which is the deep balls down the field,” McLaurin said. “Being able to add that to our offense and my arsenal has been huge for me individually, but as a collective group I think we’ve done a good job of just trying to make plays down the field, and he’s going to give us ample opportunities to do that.”

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Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) reaches for a pass ruled incomplete as he is defended by Chicago Bears safety Elijah Hicks (22) in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

FILE - Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin, front, catches a 6-yard touchdown pass as Baltimore Ravens defensive back Brandon Stephens, rear, defends during the second half of an NFL football game, Oct. 13, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)

FILE - Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) celebrates with Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown (85) after Brown scored the game-winning touchdown during an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Oct. 27, 2024 in Landover. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr., File)

Veteran Australia batter Usman Khawaja has announced he will retire from international cricket after the fifth Ashes test beginning Sunday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

He didn't go quietly.

The Pakistan-born Khawaja, who was the first Muslim to play for Australia, used his retirement announcement Friday to criticize the “racial" stereotyping he experienced during his career.

It will be the 39-year-old Khawaja's 88th and final test — played at the ground where he began his first-class career. Khawaja scored his first Ashes century at the SCG with 171 against England in 2018.

It was also at that the SCG where he revived his career at age 35, scoring two centuries against England. That prompted one of the great late-career revivals, as Khawaja hit seven centuries in his next two years back in the side.

But Khawaja’s position had come under scrutiny and criticism this season after being unable to open in the first Ashes test in Perth due to back spasms and then missing the Brisbane test with the injury.

He was then initially left out in Adelaide until Steve Smith’s vertigo allowed Khawaja to return, before an 82 in the first innings there ensured he would stay in the side for the fourth test in Melbourne. Australia, with a 3-1 lead going into the fifth test, has retained the Ashes.

Khawaja said he felt he was treated “a little bit different, even to now,” because of his Pakistan and Muslim background.

"Different in the way I’ve been treated, different in how things have happened,” he said at a media conference in Sydney. “I had back spasms, it was something I couldn’t control. The way the media and the past players came out and attacked me . . . I copped it for about five days straight. Everyone was piling in.

“Once the racial stereotypes came in, of me being lazy, it was things I’ve dealt with my whole life. Pakistani, West Indian, colored players...we’re selfish, we only care about ourselves, we don’t care about the team, we don’t train hard enough."

Khawaja said he knew the end of his career was imminent.

“I guess moving into this series, I had an inkling this would be the last series," he said. "I’m glad I can go out on my own terms.”

Khawaja has scored 6,206 runs at an average of 43.49 in his 87 tests with 16 centuries and 28 half-centuries.

“Usman has made a huge contribution to Australian cricket both through his outstanding achievements as one of our most stylish and resilient batters . . . and off field, particularly through the Usman Khawaja Foundation,” Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg said in a statement.

“Usman has been one of Australia’s most reliable opening batters and testament to his success was him being named ICC test cricketer of the year the same season that Australia won the World Test Championship (in 2023).”

Khawaja said his No. 1 emotion on announcing his retirement was “contentment.”

“I’m very lucky to have played so many games for Australia the way I have,” Khawaja said. "I hope I have inspired people along the way.”

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja with his wife Rachel and daughters Aisha and Ayla after announcing that he will retire from international cricket following the fifth and final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Australia, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Australia Usman Khawaja, centre, sits with teammates after announcing he will retire from international cricket following the fifth and final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Australia, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Australia Usman Khawaja warms up during a practice session ahead of the fifth and final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Australia, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Australia's Travis Head, right, is congratulated by teammate Usman Khawaja after reaching 50 runs during play on day three of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Australia's Usman Khawaja sign autograph to fans after they won the third Ashes cricket test match against England in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025 (AP Photo/James Elsby)