Jayden Daniels practiced despite his rib injury, and the rookie quarterback for the Washington Commanders is managing his pain and recovery each day.
“I’m still intact,” Daniels said. “I feel good.”
Daniels took several hard hits while dealing with the injury, but he still managed to throw a Hail Mary touchdown pass to win against Chicago last weekend, bringing the Commanders to a 6-2 record this season. He participated in a light practice on Wednesday, where no pads were worn, and is expected to play against the 2-6 New York Giants on Sunday.
His ribs are sore, and there is no clear timeline for when they will fully heal.
“I wish I knew,” Daniels said. “It’s just how I feel daily, how I wake up and how I’m able to move around. And the organization here has a great plan, so I’m trusting that and following it.”
Daniels got hurt early in the game against Carolina on October 20 when he was hit and fell awkwardly on Washington’s first play. The plan was to have him rest during practice early last week, but he ended up participating on Friday and was listed as questionable.
After being a game-time decision, Daniels completed 21 of 38 passes for a career-high 326 yards, including a final 52 yards on the last-second touchdown throw to Noah Brown.
“Pain tolerance is always a big thing,” Daniels said. “That’s pretty much what it came down to.”
Coach Dan Quinn mentioned that Daniels’ ribs will be closely monitored for the rest of the season.