Jayden Daniels returns to practice but decisive Commanders test still awaits

Jayden Daniels returned to the practice field for the first time since dislocating his elbow in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys. It was a great sight for everyone associated with the Washington Commanders, but nothing is set in stone just yet.

And that is the right call.

Head coach Dan Quinn acknowledged that their first practice in London was more of a jog-through as they got acclimated to their new surroundings. But if it were a normal practice, Daniels would be listed as limited.

Commanders are giving Jayden Daniels a shot to feature in Week 4

Playing in Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium remains possible. However, there are significant obstacles to overcome before then.

And as Quinn said, Daniels will not be rushed into action before he is ready.

Daniels will be fighting to play. He wouldn't have traveled to London otherwise, but this remains a step-by-step process.

Throwing a few balls in practice is one thing. Putting yourself in harm's way on an NFL regular-season field is something else entirely.

Not putting Daniels on injured reserve or delaying surgery for now gives them extra flexibility. The signal-caller has missed a lot of time, and he didn't want the same trend to continue. And the Commanders' incredible upset over the Seattle Seahawks no doubt gave him even more motivation.

But the Commanders also have the luxury of caution.

Commanders have enough comfort with Marcus Mariota to give Jayden Daniels time

Veteran backup Marcus Mariota once again proved capable of keeping things ticking over with an outstanding display versus Seattle. Everyone rallied behind the signal-caller, and he answered the call. Doing this over a longer period might be difficult, but nothing suggests he cannot do the same over the next couple of weeks if Daniels needs more time to heal.

Mariota isn't Daniels. But he knows how to run this offense, and everyone trusts him. That gives them the freedom needed to take things slowly with the franchise player if needed.

The Commanders will place more on Daniels' shoulders on Thursday. This will be the highest-intensity practice of the three. How he comes out of that will be telling, and it will probably be the tipping point on whether he plays this weekend.

There is growing excitement. Things looked incredibly bleak for Daniels this time last week, so seeing him on the practice field this soon can only be positive.

He's wearing a brace on his left elbow. But this is nothing new.

And it's not his throwing arm.

It does seem as if Quinn and Washington's medical staff are giving Daniels every chance to prove his fitness in time. The Arizona State product was all smiles, and rightfully so. But the Commanders will do whatever is in the team's best interests.

Nothing more, nothing less.

If Daniels needs another week, that's fine. Mariota can play well, but winning matters. The Commanders all but saved their season by beating the Seahawks. But if they go to 1-3, it will be for nothing.

The Commanders must figure out whether Daniels would be a help or a hindrance with his dislocated elbow.

And everything should become clearer in the next couple of days.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow