During the third quarter of last night’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a catastrophic right hamstring injury. This casts doubt on his availability for the match at home against Juventus later this month. The injury occurred with 11:53 left in the third quarter, as Dallas linebacker Shemar James managed to break through and apply pressure during a first-and-10 rush.
Daniels attempted to avoid the personal foul tackle, but he abruptly clutched the back of his right leg. He left the field on crutches. Before exiting the game he was 12-for-22 passing for 156 yards with one touchdown pass. He rushed eight times for 35 yards with another touchdown on the ground. Sadly for the Commanders, the injury is just one more blow for a team that has already been heavily impacted by the ongoing offensive turmoil.
After the game, Daniels walked gingerly into the postgame locker room but appeared to have no noticeable limp. This was a comforting sight on the road to his recovery. In fact, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn acknowledged that Daniels would undergo an MRI Monday. This will bring further clarity on the degree of his injury. This MRI will be very important in figuring out if Daniels will be able to get back in action this season.
This season has been particularly trying on Daniels, who missed two games earlier this year with a sprained left knee. Observers were adamant he was feeling tightness in his hamstring before that fumble. That fumble led directly to his injury. Wisconsin has known the quarterback as the game manager with his sharp decision-making and ability to keep plays alive. Now with this latest injury perhaps tossing a wrench in their offensive plan going forward.
After Daniels’ injury, the emotional effect on his football brothers was felt immediately and strongly. Linebacker Frankie Luvu expressed concern for his teammate, stating, “Oh man, to see one of our leaders going down it definitely affected the team.” Fellow defensive back Jaylin Lane added, “It definitely hurt to see that. It looks like he’s doing OK, but yeah, it’s always a next-man-up mentality.”
Marcus Mariota, another quarterback on the roster, said it was critical to give Daniels and help him through a difficult moment. “For now it’s just supporting [Daniels], and making sure he’s good,” Mariota said.
The Commanders are in for another stiff test next, as they head to Kansas City on October 27. So, they’ll have to come together immediately to recover from their Week 6 disaster — a 44-22 loss to the Cowboys. This is particularly vital if they’re out their starting signal caller.
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