Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was kept out of the game against the Minnesota Vikings once he fell on his injured elbow. Head coach Dan Quinn could see the contest was a lost cause and took precautionary measures to ensure his signal-caller lived to fight another day.
This was immediately followed by more fierce debates over whether the Commanders should sit him out for the entire season. Quinn's squad is on an eight-game losing streak, playing for nothing but pride. Risking Daniels' health, when he is clearly feeling something in the elbow he dislocated against the Seattle Seahawks, is a risk some believe isn't worth taking.
Quinn said there was no major issue and that Daniels would be assessed this week before Washington's divisional road trip to the New York Giants. All eyes were on practice on Wednesday to see if the former LSU standout would feature. But things changed quickly when the coach ruled his franchise player out this weekend.
Commanders won't have Jayden Daniels in Week 15 after another elbow setback
Even though Quinn revealed after Week 14 that Daniels could have returned, the problem reaggravated. There was no structural damage again, but further medical examinations kept the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year from being cleared by the team doctors.
This is the first time Daniels has re-injured one of his ailments this season. Quinn didn't rule out anything regarding his participation over the final three contests, but considering two of those are against the vaunted Philadelphia Eagles defensive front seven, one has to wonder what the point would be.
That's for the future. For now, Daniels will be watching from the sidelines yet again.
The Commanders will be starting Marcus Mariota at MetLife Stadium, which is nothing new this season. It's another opportunity for the veteran to stake a claim for another contract in Washington, or potentially put his credentials in the shop window for a possible No. 1 spot elsewhere next year. Fans will be hoping he plays as he did in Week 13 and not like his error-prone effort when he stepped up last time out.
Daniels will be striving to return before the campaign concludes. He needs reps, and he won't want the lasting memory of his sophomore campaign to be limping around on the sidelines nursing another health problem. Even so, time is of the essence, and this setback doesn't exactly paint a promising picture.
It's been an immensely frustrating scenario for everyone associated with the Commanders. Daniels' concerns are a microcosm of what's gone wrong, and the questions about whether he should sit until 2026 will only increase from here.