He’s taking his share of knocks as a rookie, and Jayden Daniels didn’t mince words when asked about his health following a torrid outing against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11.
The Washington Commanders quarterback was sacked three times and averaged just six yards per completion during the 26-18 defeat on Thursday Night Football. Daniels showed signs of wear and tear from the rib injury he suffered against the Carolina Panthers in Week 7, as well as incurring a cut on his throwing hand against the Eagles.
Speaking after the game at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday, November 14, Daniels was blunt when asked if he’s healthy enough to be playing. The second-overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft told reporters, including Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, “If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be on the field right now.”
Although Daniels’ answer was endorsed by head coach Dan Quinn, not everybody is convinced the first-year sensation is playing at full capacity.
Commanders Putting a Positive Spin on Jayden Daniels’ Health
Quinn admitted to Jhabvala (h/t Ben Standig of The Athletic) Daniels was hindered by the rib problem “early on.” The coach said “it’s fair to say the first game after Carolina, I’m not sure who that was against, and then that’s an injury that gets better.”
When pressed by Jhabvala if Daniels was hampered specifically against the Eagles, Quinn answered adamantly, “no.”
Both Quinn and Daniels were at pains to put a positive spin on the quarterback’s health, but not everybody is buying the party line. Some doubt is understandable after Daniels laboured through a rough night in Philadelphia.
He took numerous hits in and out of the pocket. The effect of those hits was visually represented by the signal-caller needing treatment to try and quickly heal the abrasion on his throwing hand, per NFL on Prime Video.
Even when he wasn’t getting hit, Daniels struggled to make an impact. He completed just four passes to wide receivers, totalling a mere 18 yards.
It appeared to some observers, including Jhabvala’s colleague Sam Fortier, Daniels was unwilling or unable to take chances. Fortier cited a “pretty conservative” performance during the first half.
A big part of the problem was how the Eagles’ defense kept Daniels harassed and took away his primary big-play threat. By doing so, the Eagles reduced the most dynamic rookie in the league this season to his second-straight mediocre performance.
Eagles Followed Steelers in Stifling Jayden Daniels
Daniels was already coming off a game to forget, when he completed just 50 percent of his passes against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10. He again threw double-digit incompletions in Pennsylvania on Thursday night.
No. 5 was also tossed his first interception since Week 5. Eagles safety Cooper DeJean was the beneficiary after Daniels appeared to stare down his primary read, wideout Noah Brown.
This was a classic rookie mistake Daniels can be expected to make while he continues to develop. The greater worry is how he couldn’t get the ball to go-to receiver Terry McLaurin, who’s the vertical playmaker for Daniels and the Commanders.
McLaurin was only targeted twice, despite the veteran with multiple 1,000-yard seasons being covered by rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. The Commanders lost that battle, but the Eagles also seemed to confuse Daniels with different looks on the back end and relentless pressure up front.
Whether it’s bumps and bruises or Daniels naturally hitting the rookie wall, the Commanders and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury need to find ways to get their talisman back on track.
