When it rains, it pours for the Washington Commanders. Dan Quinn’s team may have lost more than just a divisional game in their 44-22 road loss to the Dallas Cowboys, as star quarterback Jayden Daniels had to leave the field.
When Will Jayden Daniels Return From Injury?
The second-year quarterback left early in the third quarter with an apparent hamstring injury. Per ESPN insider John Keim, he will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the ailment, and he’s in jeopardy of missing next Monday’s clash with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The early reports aren’t that encouraging. Upon watching the tape of the injury, sports medicine specialist Jesse Morse, M.D., took to social media to share his initial impressions. While he didn’t rule out a season-ending ACL injury, he thinks a hamstring injury is more likely.
“Jayden Daniels. Right hamstring vs. knee injury. His hamstring was stretched in an abnormal position. If his knee is involved, it’s most likely an injury to his (posterior) meniscus. ACL unlikely but possible. You would think it would have been to his left knee the way it bent but no. That was the knee he previously injured. You can see him grab the back of his right leg/knee at the end of the play,” he wrote.
Moreover, he believes that Daniels could be out for a while:
“My guess is a grade 1 hamstring strain, out 2-4 weeks,” he added.
Daniels has already missed two games this season with a sprained left knee. He also suffered a rib injury in his rookie campaign, and given his skinny frame, there are plenty of reasons to be worried about his durability in the pros.
The Commanders are 3-4 for the season, a disappointing record after their breakout year in Daniels’ rookie campaign. Notably, their schedule for the next three weeks is pretty brutal, as they will have to face the Chiefs on the road before hosting the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions.
Then, they have the Miami Dolphins on the road before their Bye in Week 12. If Daniels has to miss time, they will most likely err on the side of caution and keep him out through the Bye. That would put him in line for a return in Week 13 against the Denver Broncos.
Daniels has regressed from his Rookie of the Year campaign. Through five games, he’s completed 61% of his passes for 1,031 yards, eight touchdowns, and one interception, adding 44 carries for 211 yards and another touchdown.
