The Washington Commanders already have their back against the wall heading into Week 5. With a 1-3 record and injury issues beginning to pile up, the Commanders desperately need to get back in the win column. The good news for the team is that it will get its starting quarterback, Jayden Daniels, back under center after he missed the past two-and-a-half games with an elbow injury.
Daniels dislocated his left elbow in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys, which is the same injury he suffered last year that caused him to miss four games of action. This time around, Daniels is only going to miss two games because of this ailment, but according to one anonymous NFL executive, just because he’s back on the field, that doesn’t mean his injury woes are going to be any less of a concern for the team moving forward.
Commanders Must Be Proactive in Mitigating Jayden Daniels’ Injury Risk
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Daniels has been a star when he’s been on the field for the Commanders. He turned in a historic campaign as a rookie, which saw him win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and lead Washington to the NFC Championship Game. Since then, though, injuries have dominated Daniels’ career.
One of the main concerns surrounding Daniels coming out of college was how his slim frame would handle the rigors of the NFL. It certainly doesn’t help that making plays with his legs is a big part of his game, but so far, the early returns aren’t exactly encouraging. Daniels only played in seven games last season, and it took just six quarters for him to suffer another gruesome elbow injury this year.
The silver lining is that Daniels is making a quick return, but if the Commanders aren’t careful, he’s just going to get injured again, and the team will be in the same spot it has found itself in frequently over the past year or so. With that in mind, one anonymous executive urged Washington to alter its offensive scheme in an effort to better protect Daniels.
“They’ve got to show more conviction to stick with the run and more max protections and an emphasis on getting him through games,” the exec said, per Jason La Canfora of casino.guru. “He’s built more like a basketball player than a football player. It’s a very slight build; he doesn’t even have the core and the trunk of a guy like Lamar Jackson … They have to be fully committed to some things if this is going to work. He can’t keep missing all this time.”
Commanders Toeing Dangerous Line With Jayden Daniels
When he’s on, Daniels is capable of single-handedly leading the Commanders’ offense up and down the field. That doesn’t mean anything, though, if he isn’t actually on the field. Washington has put a ton of responsibility on Daniels’ shoulders, and in the process, that’s resulted in him getting thrown in harm’s way more often than he should.
For now, Daniels is doing well, but Washington has to be more careful with him, or else it will find itself stuck in an endless cycle of mediocrity. The Commanders will face off against a New York Giants team that is experiencing the same problem with Jaxson Dart, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2. With Daniels healthy, Washington is in a good spot to pick up a win when these two teams meet on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
Anonymous NFL Exec Hits Commanders With Harsh Jayden Daniels Injury Truth