In the ever-turning world of NFL scoops, there’s going to be some variance in how reports come in over any given day.
In the case of an injury to a superstar player like Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, who left a 44-22, Week 7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys with a hamstring injury, it’s going to be kind of a rollercoaster.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter went on “Get Up” on Monday morning and said that Daniels had a hamstring injury comparable to the one suffered by Baltimore Ravens quarterback and 2-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson, who has missed the last 2 games.
By Monday afternoon, Schefter’s reports were a little less gloomy after he spoke with Commanders head coach Dan Quinn.
The Commanders dropped to 3-4 with the loss to the Cowboys and return to action in Week 8 by hitting the road to face the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.
“Commanders QB Jayden Daniels had an MRI on his hamstring and it is not considered a long term injury, per HC Dan Quinn,” Schefter wrote on his official X account on Monday afternoon. “But his status for next Monday night vs. KC won’t be revealed until later this week.”
It’s safe to say that as Daniels goes, so go the playoff hopes of the Commanders, who entered the season as Super Bowl contenders after Daniels led them to a 12-5 record and the NFC Championship Game as a rookie in 2024.
Second Injury Issue for Daniels This Season
The biggest knock on Daniels before the Commanders drafted him at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL draft was how he might fare against NFL defenses at 6-foot-3 and just 210 pounds — probably 10-20 pounds less than what’s ideal for a quarterback of that height.
Daniels was surprisingly durable as a rookie. He didn’t miss a single start and really only missed one game, when he left a Week 7 win over the Carolina Panthers with a rib injury suffered on the first drive of the game.
This year has been much different. Daniels has already missed 2 games with a knee sprain as the Commanders went 1-1 with backup Marcus Mariota.
Washington is staring down a brutal stretch of games before their Week 12 bye beginning with a road game against the Chiefs on Monday Night Football in Week 8 followed by home games against fellow NFC contenders in the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions.
Missing Stars Could Doom Commanders’ Season
Before the season, if you were to have asked any Commanders fan which 2 players they could absolutely not live without, there’s a good chance the names would have been Daniels and NFL All-Pro wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
With McLaurin out for the last 4 games with a quad injury/hip flexor and no news of his return, it might be a doomsday scenario for the Commanders and their once-bright playoff hopes.
“There is Jayden Daniels’ future to consider,” The Athletic’s David Aldridge wrote on October 20. “Which means there’s the future of the franchise to consider, if this is who the Washington Commanders are going to be this season. If it is, and it’s definitely looking that way, Daniels should not go back on the field any time soon.”
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