The Commanders have made the right decision on Jayden Daniels’ injury status for Week 8 against the Chiefs
The Commanders are making an early call on Jayden Daniels’ health.
The Washington Commanders are dealing with a long list of injuries, including their franchise quarterback, Jayden Daniels.
Daniels went down for the second time this season in the loss against the Dallas Cowboys, and it didn’t look good at first. We saw him jog to the locker room after leaving the tent with a thumbs up to his mom, and later found out that he had a low-grade hamstring strain.
These types of injuries can linger and usually keep a player out for a week or two, and the Commanders have made the early decision to sit Daniels for Week 5 against the Chiefs and start Marcus Mariota again.
Jayden Daniels is out against the Chiefs
It’s not the news we wanted to hear for Daniels, but it’s the smart decision to make for the long-term health of the quarterback. We’ve seen the team be cautious this season with Daniels’ health many times already, and they’re taking the necessary steps by sitting him for Monday Night Football.
Hamstring injuries are very tricky, and Daniels is a mobile quarterback who needs the full freedom to move around. We saw Daniels come down at an awkward angle on a routine tackle, and it looked like something he could possibly play through, but not worth the risk, this week. Luckily, this is the opposite leg that Daniels sprained his knee on in Week 2.
It doesn’t make sense for Daniels to push through the injury, even if Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel come back this week. Mariota has shown that he can be a capable backup, and Daniels is needed for the games against the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions, with the Commanders already at four losses in the NFC.
Marcus Mariota looks to save the season
The offense will hopefully get its main weapons back this week, and the scheme doesn’t change for Mariota at all when he starts. We’ve seen Mariota have success in the two games he has started when Daniels went down this season, and the Commanders went 1-1 with him as the starter. Beating the Chiefs on the road on Monday Night Football would obviously help bring the season back to life, but keeping your franchise quarterback healthy is more important.
If the Commanders lose to the Chiefs, Seahawks, and Lions, the season goal quickly goes from making the playoffs to making it to the end of the season healthy, including Daniels.
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