It only took Jayden Daniels two drives to alleviate rib injury fears

Jayden Daniels' status was the subject of tremendous panic and apprehension among Washington Commanders fans this week. The rookie quarterback was dealt a blow to his fairytale career start thanks to a rib injury suffered against the Carolina Panthers. However, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft did enough to convince Dan Quinn and his staff he was worthy of involvement in Week 8.

The head coach took every possible precaution throughout the week. Quinn wouldn't have put Daniels out there if there wasn't 100 percent conviction in his capabilities to perform despite the issue. This was also a massive boost to the Commanders in pursuit of securing a sixth win of the campaign.

Daniels was locking horns with the only player taken ahead of him in the 2024 NFL Draft. Caleb Williams was coming home to compete against the team he supported as a boy. The former LSU star did not want to be upstaged, showing tremendous resolve to take his place in the lineup despite the tough test awaiting him.

This is the sort of competitor Daniels is. One only has to look at how his teammates responded to his mere presence on the field during warmups to see what he means to the locker room. At the same time, everyone associated with the franchise was nervously awaiting how the Heisman Trophy winner would look under live fire in a competitive setting.

Would Daniels be hesitant? Would the signal-caller feel some adverse effects to the injury? How would the Cajon High School produce respond to being hit?

Jayden Daniels made a strong start in Week 8 despite rib injury

It took just two drives for Daniels to alleviate fears about how his rib complication would impact his performance levels. Washington relied heavily on the run as expected. He got out on the move when the situation dictated. He also took a huge hit from ex-Washington defensive end Montez Sweat and wasn't phased whatsoever.

His typical chain-moving prowess was evident. Daniels made some decent throws. The player's deep ball to Pro Bowl wide receiver Terry McLaurin on the second series was nothing short of staggering, resulting in a 61-yard gain that got Washington into scoring position once again.

Had it not been for a couple of drops, things could have been even better.

There was an obvious dependency on the run game. Kliff Kingsbury didn't want to put too much pressure on his young quarterback. They had to settle for field goals from their opening two drives, but it was encouraging to see Daniels move the football so effortlessly downfield.

That, above all else, was the main thing the Commanders wanted to see from Daniels.

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