The quarterback’s elbow injury worsened and they would rather he recover than risk it
The quarterback of the Washington Commanders, Jayden Danielswill not play the rest of the season, a decision made by the team a week after his left elbow dislocation worsened.
The coach And Quinn He noted that Daniels has not yet been medically cleared for physical contact and was unlikely to play Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Washington has a short week before playing on Christmas Day, and Quinn said that wasn’t ideal for Daniels’ return. However, he will continue training with the team.
“He’s not happy about being left out, but that’s the way it is,” Quinn said.
Jayden Daniels He missed six games due to various injuries, including a dislocated elbow he suffered on November 9. He returned to the lineup for the December 7 game at Minnesotabut left in the third quarter after falling on his elbow, after being pushed to the ground after an interception.
After the game, Quinn reported that Daniels could have returned, but three days later he stated that additional testing showed that the player had aggravated the injury.
“We thought we had a good plan for the next five games, and I would say ‘man proposes and God disposes,'” Quinn said. “So you have a good plan and then you have to adjust it.”
The veteran Marcus Mariota will be a starter in the last three games of Washington (4-10), which snapped its eight-game losing streak on Sunday.
Jayden Daniels He has only played seven games this season, leaving each of the last three due to injury, or, as was the case in Minnesota in week 14, aggravating the injury to his non-dominant elbow.
Los Commanders They will finish the season with nine starters from their projected preseason lineup missing at least seven games. Only one starter in 2024 missed that many games.
And Quinn informed Daniels of the decision Monday afternoon, saying Daniels was “disappointed but understood.” The general manager Adam Peters He also spoke with Daniels on Monday. Quinn added that they discussed the decision with the owner Josh Harris.
Quinn said the fact that Daniels had left his last three games due to injury had no bearing on the decision. And he declined to say whether Daniels would play if they went 10-4.
“We don’t have it, so we didn’t have that conversation,” Quinn said.
Washington He emphasized the need for Daniels to play more this season to continue developing. While that remains the preferred option, Quinn said Daniels did not want to go on the disabled list so he could continue training.
“The best way to improve is to play games,” Quinn replied. “But that doesn’t mean he can’t do his best in training and work on the specific things we want to improve. We will always make the best decisions for the team and the player, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take advantage of this time. And like I said, I hope that when you talk to him in a year, he says, ‘This gave me a different perspective.’ I want him to learn something from this time, and that’s what we hope to achieve.”
Daniels finished his second season with 1,262 yards, 8 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He also rushed for 278 yards and two touchdowns.
