UPDATE: Following Friday’s practice, head coach Dan Quinn spoke to the media and made it official that Jayden Daniels will miss the Week 3 matchup against the Raiders. Marcus Mariota will officially get the first start of his Commanders career against his former team.
The Washington Commanders are set to face the Las Vegas Raiders this week, but are expected to be without star quarterback Jayden Daniels. The second-year standout first popped onto the injury report on Monday, with the injury then being referred to simply as a knee issue that put his status in question.
The injury was later officially diagnosed as a knee sprain in the days that followed. Daniels has been unable to practice at any point this week and was not spotted on the practice field during Friday’s session. Washington has not officially ruled him out yet, but the lack of practice reps and availability is telling of the organization’s outlook.
Jayden Daniels Injury Update
For the time being, Daniels’ status officially remains uncertain for this week. However, all signs point toward the Commanders being cautious in their approach and holding out their star quarterback. This is a bothersome injury that can linger if not taken care of. It is a similar issue to what Lamar Jackson dealt with in the 2022 season, as well as what Christian McCaffrey and Puka Nacua missed time with last year.
As long as it remains a Grade 1 sprain, the knee issue is not a major concern. But if it worsens, that’s where the Commanders could face some serious issues. With Daniels’ age in mind and flashbacks of Robert Griffin III still fresh in the fan base’s heads, expect Washington to take the cautious approach with their franchise quarterback. Marcus Mariota is in line to get the start if Daniels is officially ruled out, and attempted 44 pass attempts for the Commanders last year in cleanup duty.
It has been a bit of a rough start to Daniels’ second season after one of the most impressive rookie years in recent memory. Washington defeated the Giants 21-6 in the opening week, in which Daniels completed 19 of his 30 pass attempts for 233 passing yards and one touchdown, while adding 68 rushing yards on the ground. In Week 2, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year completed just 24 of his 42 pass attempts for 200 passing yards and two touchdowns while rushing for only 17 yards. The knee issue popped up during this matchup and left him limited for the remainder of the game. Daniels currently ranks 12th in fantasy points among quarterbacks based on DraftKings scoring through the opening two weeks of the season.
It is still too early to be hitting the panic button over a sophomore slump, but Daniels has not reached his sky-high standards of one of the best quarterbacks in the league to this point. The matchup with the Raiders does not seem like one in which he will have an opportunity to get back on track. All signs are currently pointing toward Marcus Mariota being the Commanders’ starter for the week, and it would take a miraculous turnaround for this to change based on the current practice status.
Washington will face off with the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4. Stay tuned for updates as they are provided by the team, and his status next week will paint a clearer picture of the concern level on Daniels’ injury.
