Jayden Daniels’ situation is uncertain for the Washington Commanders’ game against Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears on Sunday due to a rib injury, and he is being considered week to week.
Daniels hasn’t been ruled out for what is expected to be a matchup between the top two picks from this year’s NFL draft, but coach Dan Quinn did not give much information about the injury on Monday, stating it is not serious enough to keep the rookie quarterback out for a long time.
“We’re hopeful he can play, but we’ll also make sure to take every precautionary step and do it smartly for the player and the man,” Quinn said during a video call with reporters. “It’s not going to be something that’s going to knock him out for the long term.”
Daniels got hurt when he flipped over and landed awkwardly while being tackled after a 46-yard run on Washington’s first play on offense on Sunday.
He completed that drive before heading to the sideline for evaluation, and veteran Marcus Mariota took over for the remainder of a 40-7 win against Carolina, improving the Commanders’ record to 5-2 this season.
Quinn did not provide details about the rib injury, including if anything was broken. “Most times when there’s a core injury, it’s more just the movements and all that goes into throwing and playing the position,” Quinn said.
If Daniels is unable to play, Mariota will start. In addition to doctors and trainers clearing the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, the coaching staff will also closely monitor his performance during practice this week.
“He’s such a unique player that I want to make sure he can be him fully in his own way and the movements and throwing all the stuff that would go with that,” Quinn said. “It’s really important to get it right, and we will.”
Daniels has passed for 1,410 yards, rushed for 372 yards, and scored 10 touchdowns, making him the top choice to win offensive rookie of the year.
Quinn said Daniels was “doing great” but suggested that the 23-year-old was already preparing to play on Sunday.
“He is at his core a true competitor, and we wouldn’t expect anything different than that,” Quinn said. “But we’ll really trust our eyes, the medical staff, and we’re going to make sure we assess this every day and make sure when he’s able to be him fully in that space, then we’ll let it rip.”
The team was very careful with a recent knee injury to their top running back, Brian Robinson Jr. They held him out against Baltimore on October 13 — a 30-23 loss that is Washington’s only defeat since the season opener.
Robinson returned against the Panthers and rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries after thanking Quinn and general manager Adam Peters for allowing him the time to recover.
A similar cautious approach might be taken with Daniels, considering his importance to the team this season and in the future.
“It’s always about them for the long term — for their health, for their career,” Quinn said. “It’s about the player and making sure they can do their thing at full speed.
And if they can’t, like in the case with Brian a few weeks ago, we just said, ‘You know what, it’s not there,’ and we’re not going to put you out there and not allow you to do your thing full speed.”
