Jayden Daniels' rib injury has generated more headlines than most this week. The rookie quarterback suffered the issue on the Washington Commanders' first offensive drive in Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers. They managed to win comfortably without him, but that won't be the case versus the Chicago Bears at Northwest Stadium.
The Commanders listed Daniels as week-to-week with the complication. Dan Quinn and his staff were going to give the No. 2 pick every chance to suit up and lock horns with Caleb Williams. At the same time, the head coach wants to err on the side of caution given how high the stakes could be later in the campaign.
Daniels wasn't seen on the practice field on Wednesday as he went through treatment and meetings. The former LSU standout was also absent on Thursday, leaving veteran backup Marcus Mariota taking starting reps as a contingency plan if he's thrown into the proverbial fire once again.
Fans had a bleak outlook on Daniels after he missed the opening two sessions of the week. However, an encouraging report from Adam Schefter of ESPN claimed that the Commanders were planning for the Heisman Trophy winner to practice on Friday before determining his final injury designation.
This was a make-or-break scenario for Daniels. He's highly motivated and competitive in equal measure. Missing the chance to battle versus the only player taken ahead of him in the 2024 NFL Draft - especially with CBS flexing the contest to their prime afternoon slot - would be a blow. That won't matter to the Commanders, who'll keep the bigger picture in mind regardless of the occasion.
Jayden Daniels practiced and was pushed hard before Week 8 decision
All eyes were on Ashburn to see if Daniels would emerge to participate in practice. As it turned out, the dual-threat force did manage to practice on Friday. Head coach Dan Quinn also said they pushed him hard to see how the rib issue responds.
#Commanders QB Jayden Daniels practiced today, per coach Dan Quinn. "We will assess how he responds to the work that we did over the next 48 hours. But we really pushed it today."
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 25, 2024
A game-time decision ...
There was some concern for Daniels after the early stage of practice occurred in the bubble where the quarterbacks are concerned. The first-rounder didn't come out with other quarterbacks during the open portion to the media, which suggests the Commanders are going to be coy and leave this right up until the last minute.
This is smart. It keeps the Bears guessing. It also gives Daniels a chance to see how the injury recovers from his first involvement of the week before anything concrete emerges. But things are still hanging in the balance in no uncertain terms.
if it was up to the player, he'd be out there. One only has to look at his comments viua Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post to see that.
Jayden Daniels talks pic.twitter.com/btGcrP5F8S
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) October 25, 2024
Time will tell on that one.