Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels was setting the NFL world on fire in Week 7 when he suffered a rib injury. He left that game and returned the following week against the Chicago Bears.
You could tell Daniels was limited against Chicago, but you wouldn’t know it after seeing the “Hail Mary.” Since that time, Daniels hasn’t been quite the same. He struggled some against Pittsburgh last week, but he didn’t receive much help from his teammates and still almost won the game.
However, in Thursday’s 26-18 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Daniels had his worst game as a pro, completing 22 of 32 passes for 191 yards, with an interception and touchdown. Daniels made no impact with his legs, rushing for 18 yards on seven attempts.
The numbers don’t tell the full story. Daniels was inaccurate, with many of his completions checkdowns to running back Austin Ekeler and tight end Zach Ertz.
Earlier this week, former Washington coach Jay Gruden, as a guest on “Grant and Danny” of 106.7 The Fan in Washington, said he believed Daniels was still feeling the effects of the rib injury.
Part of Jay Gruden’s assessment on Jayden Daniels’ outing vs the Steelers:
“I think he’s still inhibited by the rib injury a little bit. That effects the play-calling. I think his use of his legs is limited right now. Overall, I thought he played pretty good.”
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) November 11, 2024
Gruden made that observation after watching Daniels’ film.
After Thursday’ game, Daniels insisted he was fine.
“I feel good,” Daniels said. “I mean, it’s football at the end of the day. Physicality is required in this game, so feel good; just a tough loss.”
Head coach Dan Quinn said the rib is a non-issue now for Daniels.
Dan Quinn said Jayden Daniels was not hindered by the rib injury. Said Daniels was limited by it in the Chicago game, but it has improved and he wasn’t affected by it in this game.
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) November 15, 2024
Something isn’t the same for Daniels. It could be several things, but he doesn’t even look as explosive as a runner as he was a few weeks ago.
The Commanders have a few extra days of rest before returning home to face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12.
