Last week, Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn faced considerable backlash for his decision to keep quarterback Jayden Daniels in the game.
Daniels ended up suffering an injury, one that could’ve easily been avoided had he not been participating in a game that was well out of hand. The Commanders’ season hasn’t gone according to plan, and this injury was yet another setback.
Jayden Daniels is Currently Recovering From An Elbow Injury
Thankfully for the Commanders, Ian Rapoport revealed that the team’s initial assessment of his elbow injury wasn’t nearly as severe as initially thought. What could’ve been a season-ending injury turned into a minor injury that the team will manage in the immediate future. Sitting at 3-6, the team has a pair of games before they enjoy a Week 12 Bye.
At this stage, the team is opting not to put Daniels on the injured reserve list. Knowing that, they expect him to miss fewer than four games. It’s safe to assume they’re planning to have him for Sunday Night Football on November 30 against the Denver Broncos, though they’ll play it by ear. Moving forward, Marcus Mariota will be the starter.
Daniels could return as soon as November 16 in Madrid, although it remains to be seen how the team will handle his injury. Knowing he was already banged up earlier in the year, it’d be smart to take the safe route and have him sit an extra week, especially knowing they’ll be playing a struggling 2-7 Dolphins team.
Mariota has gotten the job done at QB. His ceiling is much lower than Daniels, but he provides experience and gives a veteran presence to a key position. Without him, who knows where this Commander’s team would be? Their season is far from what they were doing a year ago, but Mariota’s only six spots lower than Daniels in PFSN’s QB Impact Metric.
Playing Detroit won’t be easy, but the Commanders are no strangers to this Lions team. They went on the road and beat them in the playoffs last year, so playing them at home in the regular season provides a unique opportunity. There’s no doubt the Lions haven’t forgotten about that game, and they’ll be foaming at the mouth knowing they don’t have to play Daniels.
Seeing as Daniel’s injury isn’t as severe as they thought, the Commanders’ playoff hopes are still alive. It’s not an easy ask, but they’re in a similar position as the Baltimore Ravens, who have momentum on their side and don’t plan on slowing down.
