Jayden Daniels’ left rib injury cast a shadow over the Washington Commanders’ decisive 40-7 victory against the Carolina Panthers.
The atmosphere was celebratory at Northwest Stadium as the Commanders took the field, especially with the franchise honoring Hall of Famer Darrell Green by retiring his number at halftime. Linebacker Dante Fowler set the tone early with a pick-6 in the first quarter, and Daniels made an impressive 46-yard run on Washington’s opening offensive play.
The Commanders quickly surged to a 10-0 lead, but that momentum was dampened when Daniels went into the medical blue tent and was later seen leaving for the locker room, clearly in pain, during the first quarter.
The Commanders first reported that Daniels was questionable to return during the first half, but by the third quarter, he was officially ruled out.
“We have to put that aside for now and focus on the game as it unfolds,” said Commanders center Tyler Biadasz. “It was early in the first quarter when it happened. We just need to stay positive and hope for the best while continuing to push forward.”
Commanders coach Dan Quinn announced that Daniels will undergo further testing on Monday to assess the severity of his rib injury.
In Daniels’ absence, veteran Marcus Mariota stepped up effectively against the struggling Panthers, completing 18 of 23 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns.
“It’s not a great feeling, but we were ready to adapt. Marcus came in and performed exactly as needed, so it felt like Jayden wasn’t even missing,” said Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. “We’d love to have him back on the field, but I’m just glad the team was prepared to make adjustments.”
After the game, Mariota said that Daniels was doing well.
“He seemed to be in good spirits,” Mariota noted. “We mostly just checked in on him, and we’ll take things day by day.”
Mariota is a mobile quarterback capable of effectively managing games. While he can make plays with his legs, they may not be as dynamic as Daniels’. With 74 starts over his 10-year career, he ranks among the better backup quarterbacks in the NFL. The Commanders’ offense remained consistent with Mariota leading, scoring 30 points during Daniels’ absence.
“It ultimately comes down to executing the game plan. Nothing really changed for us,” Mariota said. “As quarterbacks, we constantly discuss different situations and scenarios. We all have a clear understanding of what we need to achieve.”
With the Panthers sitting at 1-6, they aren’t a suitable opponent for the Commanders to assess their performance without Daniels. If Washington hopes to contend for the NFC East title for the first time since 2020, they can’t afford to lose Daniels for an extended period.
The Commanders are hoping for positive results from Daniels’ tests. The encouraging sign is that he was seen in sweats on the sidelines during the second half, smiling and waving to fans. This suggests that the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner is maintaining a positive attitude.