The Washington Commanders are 3-4 heading into a road matchup versus the surging Kansas City Chiefs next Monday night, but their circumstances could be much worse. Jayden Daniels, who exited Sunday's 44-22 loss to the Dallas Cowboys with a hamstring issue, is not dealing with a significant injury, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn revealed the encouraging news, allowing fans to exhale and hold out hope for a potential Washington reawakening in the second half of the campaign. Daniels' status for Week 8 is still uncertain, but this update will prevent full-blown panic from entering the atmosphere. Considering the parity that is present in the NFL, this squad could overcome its recent injury problems and on-field struggles and carve a path to the playoffs.
But it cannot do so unless the starting quarterback and 2024-25 Rookie of the Year is healthy. Daniels already missed two games this season because of a knee injury, so there is bound to be some concern regarding his durability. His mobility is a huge component of his game and allows Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury to operate with a healthy amount of creativity. Removing No. 5 from the field forces Washington to dramatically alter its identity.
Mercifully, it does not appear that the team will have to wait long before he returns to action. Hopefully, the worst case scenario is that Jayden Daniels is back by Washington's Week 9 showdown with the Seattle Seahawks. The offense as a group needs to get past this seemingly endless injury bug. Terry McLaurin has not played since September (quadriceps), and fellow wide receiver Deebo Samuel was also inactive versus the Cowboys (heel).
The Commanders are desperate for some good fortune. Perhaps the Daniels diagnosis is the beginning of a stark change to their luck.
