Commander Jayden Daniels will undergo tests for rib injuries

LANDOVER, Md. – The Washington Commanders don't yet know if quarterback Jayden Daniels will ever be sidelined due to a rib injury that caused him to miss the first quarter of Sunday's win over Carolina, but they found out that they always will could still be effective on offense without him.

Daniels suffered a rib injury on Washington's first possession and ultimately left. Marcus Mariota replaced him and completed 18 of 23 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns while leading six scoring drives in the 40-7 loss.

Coach Dan Quinn said he had “no update” on Daniels after the game and said more tests would be conducted Monday to determine the extent of his injury.

“As soon as I find out tomorrow I'll give you some updates, but I don't have any tonight,” Quinn said.

Daniels' mother, Regina, posted on social media that “he is fine,” and multiple sources told ESPN after the initial X-rays that Daniels was fine.

He stood on the sideline in street clothes and could be seen smiling and talking to his teammates. After the game, he hugged, among others, Carolina quarterback Bryce Young and Washington owner Josh Harris.

“It's going to take some time, whatever it is,” Mariota said of Daniels' injury. “We have no idea, but he was in good spirits. … We’re going to take it day by day.”

Washington (5-2) hosts Chicago (4-2) on Sunday in a matchup of the top two quarterbacks selected in the draft, with the Bears selecting Caleb Williams one spot ahead of Daniels.

“You know he’s a tough player,” receiver Terry McLaurin said. “He will do everything he can to prepare for next week.”

Coaches and teammates said they weren't sure when Daniels suffered the injury. It appeared to happen at the end of a 46-yard run on the Commanders' first play from scrimmage. At the end of the run, Daniels turned slightly to his left to try to slow down Panthers safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. Linebacker Marquis Haynes also helped tackle Daniels from behind.

On the next play, a handoff to Austin Ekeler, Daniels appeared to grab him on the left side as he made a fake run to the left.

Daniels carried the ball twice more in the series, once going down awkwardly instead of slipping and giving up. After the possession, coaches examined Daniels on the sideline before he went to the medical tent.

He threw a warmup pass down the field before the Commanders' next offensive series and grimaced in pain. He left the field and slammed his helmet on the ground on the sideline as Mariota took over.

Daniels, who was the main spark of an offense that came into the game second in scoring, soon headed to the locker room for the rest of the half.

Through the first six games, Daniels completed 75.3% of his passes for 1,404 yards, 6 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also passed for 322 yards and four more scores.

“He's essentially the leader of our team and he's a phenomenal player who's going to be a great player for a long time,” tight end Zach Ertz said. “…So, obviously the first thought is all about him, and from there we just have to get back out there and play. We have great confidence in Marcus.”

Mariota, who spent the first four games of the season on the bench because of a pectoral muscle strain, ran the offense at a similar pace. He failed on his first three passes, but later led a 92-yard touchdown drive just before halftime. Mariota only threw two incompletions the rest of the game.

“I wasn’t surprised that he performed well,” Quinn said of Mariota. “I see the extra things he does. It was good to see that confidence back in him and to see the joy on the sidelines for him because everyone feels his support – not just Jayden, everyone does. “He has that kind of impact” about him. He's a really great teammate and the boys feel that.