The Washington Commanders are forming a recovery plan for quarterback Jayden Daniels after their franchise player dislocated his elbow for a second time against the Dallas Cowboys. Reports on the official prognosis are sketchy, and head coach Dan Quinn said there would be no more information until later in the week.
But if it's worse than expected, general manager Adam Peters cannot be coerced into a trade.
That is just papering over a gaping crack that will do more harm than good.
Commanders cannot panic with a desperate trade after Jayden Daniels injury blow
Of course, that hasn't stopped speculation in some sections of the media that the Commanders should trade for a veteran backup elsewhere. Kenny Pickett, J.J. McCarthy, and even Joe Milton were among the names I saw bandied about, which is ridiculous.
Nobody holding a No. 2 spot league-wide can match what Daniels brings to the table. And this unfortunate incident is precisely why the Commanders re-signed Marcus Mariota for a third campaign.
Mariota isn't a world-beater, either. But he is dependable, a respected locker-room leader, and easy to rally behind. That is what the Commanders are now doing without Daniels, and that won't change even if the Arizona State product is out for the year.
That's the worst-case scenario. But trying to salvage something from the season with a desperate trade is absolutely out of the question.
Ride it out with Mariota. Take your medicine, and try to make the best out of an awful situation.
Commanders must ride it out with Marcus Mariota and hope for the best
If it doesn't work out, then at least you haven't sacrificed any draft capital for what already looks like it could be another pivotal offseason for the club in 2027.
It doesn't matter if it's McCarthy, Pickett, Milton, or Shedeur Sanders; they don't know the system. It'll take them time to adjust, and Mariota has been around it. And could you say with any great confidence that any of these aforementioned players could be an upgrade on the Oregon product?
Nope.
The Commanders have confidence in Mariota. They also believe Daniels is their big hope to take this proud organization where it wants to go.
This is unfortunate. But it's not a time for any more rash moves.
Things are too far along for that.
Hopefully, Daniels gets some good news from the specialists, and the doomsday scenarios being touted don't become a reality. He'll be itching to return at the earliest possible opportunity. Until then, Mariota will be tasked with filling the void, and seventh-round rookie Athan Kaliakmanis will back him up.
Kaliakmanis was a seemingly strange pick by the front office, but it's already worth its weight in gold. The Commanders couldn't leave anything to chance after last season, and the third quarterback on the depth chart is already being pushed into the No. 2 role after Daniels' injury.
That's called sound planning. It should also keep Peters from scrambling to find another quarterback with Daniels on the shelf.
It's Washington's best option right now. Trading for someone would just make a bad situation worse.
Add us as a preferred source on Google