The San Francisco 49ers held off a fourth-quarter rally to remain undefeated with a 23-17 victory on Monday night, but the Commanders left Levi’s Stadium with far bigger concerns as injuries continue to pile up.
Top Commanders wideout Terry McLaurin had to be carted off the field in the first half with an apparent left knee injury after going down without contact.
Teammates and Niners players alike took a knee for McLaurin as he exited, leaving Washington facing a 13-3 deficit that grew to 20-3 by halftime behind a Brock Purdy touchdown pass to George Kittle and two Christian McCaffrey scoring runs.
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Terry McLaurin No. 17 of the Washington Commanders is carted off the field after a play against the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium on Oct. 19, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Getty Images)
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The injury comes with the Commanders sitting at the bottom of the NFC at 1-5, still trying to regroup after a Week 5 clock-management blunder by quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Before kickoff, McLaurin — long regarded as the leader of Washington’s locker room — spoke to the ESPN broadcast crew about steadying the team through the rough stretch.
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“I’ve just been telling our guys we’re going through the fire right now,” McLaurin said. “You want to get to something, you gotta go through it. You can’t go around it.”
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 19: Head coach Dan Quinn of the Washington Commanders looks on against the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter of the game at Levi’s Stadium on October 19, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 19: Jayden Daniels #5 of the Washington Commanders throws a pass during the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on October 19, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
McLaurin entered Monday leading Washington with 14 receptions for 203 yards and a touchdown.
Since entering the league in 2019, McLaurin has remained Washington’s most dependable receiving threat. The two-time Pro Bowler’s knack for contested catches yielded five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons (2020-2024) despite an inconsistent quarterback carousel, though injuries did limit his 2025 campaign to 10 games.
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San Francisco also sustained a notable injury hit before the break, as wide receiver Mike Evans left the game with less than a minute left in the second quarter. Evans went to the locker room after a 16-yard reception, leaving with three receptions for 94 yards.
Jayden Daniels nearly salvaged the night without his top weapon, throwing second-half touchdown passes to Stefon Diggs and Rachaad White to cut the deficit to 23-17 before the 49ers’ defense held firm on Washington’s final possession.
Mike Evans No. 5 of the San Francisco 49ers runs on the field during the first quarter against the Washington Commanders at Levi’s Stadium on Oct. 19, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Getty Images)
Now, Washington’s offensive depth faces another test.
While Diggs found the end zone late, the veteran wideout also took several hard hits from the Niners’ defense before halftime, and the Commanders have already lost star offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil to a season-ending triceps injury.
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