The Washington Commanders chose not to risk quarterback Jayden Daniels in Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons. He was pushing hard to play, but the medical team wasn't entirely satisfied with his progress when push came to shove.
That was no doubt disappointing for Daniels. He's a competitive guy who wants to be on the field at all times, assisting his teammates with his dynamic approach. But the Commanders were right to be ultra-cautious with their franchise player.
Daniels is frustrated, and rightfully so. But according to one respected NFL insider, it won't be much longer before the LSU product is back behind center.
Commanders could get Jayden Daniels back in Week 5 against the Chargers
Jeremy Fowler from ESPN revealed that Daniels has a chance to play in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers. The signal caller's lack of typical mobility ultimately proved to be the deciding factor. Still, the Commanders will give him every opportunity to feature this weekend, even if that might not be with wide receiver Terry McLaurin to depend upon.
"He’s got a chance for Week 5 against the Chargers. They feel like in Washington, he’s trending in the right direction here. This wasn’t quite clear on the knee issue. Part of this is a mobility factor. This is a true dual threat quarterback … They want to make sure that he can do everything he needs. So he did get close. He was pushing to play this week, practiced two days. Didn’t quite get there. The question is, when Daniels comes back, does he have Terry McLaurin? That’s an issue right now because he’s week to week, not expected to go on injured reserve, but it is still unclear when he’s going to be back."Jeremy Fowler via Sportskeeda
This is encouraging, and it will be sorely needed, given the numerous other injuries being assessed by head coach Dan Quinn.
Marcus Mariota is a decent understudy. The veteran proved capable of managing things effectively in Week 3 versus the Las Vegas Raiders. But if the Commanders want to meet their newly raised bar and challenge for the Super Bowl again, they need Daniels' presence.
Washington will still take things step by step. Daniels only practiced in a limited capacity throughout this week. If everything is progressing well in the coming days, the Commanders can increase his workload and see how the knee sprain responds.
The Commanders need Daniels. He's not quite there right now., But fortunately for fans, it shouldn't be much longer before their exceptional quarterback is leading the charge once again.