Jayden Daniels, the Washington Commanders quarterback, was limited in practice on Wednesday. This is a very good sign as it is the first step in his return from a sprained left knee. Daniels experienced the injury in Week 2 following a collision with Green Bay Packers safety Javon Bullard. He’s been absent for the last two games but whoa boy, is he back! His return should provide the team with an important lift as they prepare to host the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday morning.
Head Coach Dan Quinn said Daniels has been cleared medically to come back on the field. “He’s certainly chomping at the bit to get going. Just running the offense, being back to himself,” Quinn said. Like everyone else, Daniels can’t wait to return to action. He said, “Obviously as a competitor, you want to go out there and contribute and help your team in any possible way.”
In those first two games, Daniels was electric. He went 43 for 72, totaling 433 yards and three touchdown passes. The Commanders missed him dearly. In all honesty, Marcus Mariota was in part responsible for that. Their 1-1 record with him under center and just 61 points scored between the two games speaks for itself. With Daniels back in the mix, the Commanders are looking to take their offensive game to a whole new level.
During the portion of practice open to the media, Daniels participated in drills while donning a brace on his left knee beneath black sweats. He reflected on his absence from the field. Getting HBP’d and being out these last two weeks has been really hard. He was confident enough to feel like he could play two weeks ago. At the same time, he knew this decision wasn’t entirely his to make.
For Quinn, the key was to get Daniels back to her best. Most importantly though, his goal is to make sure Daniels receives all the reps he needs to run the intricacies of the offense with flawless timing. The only thing worse than missing classes, coach continued, “is missing games without having taken the lessons.” This method looks to develop both Daniels’ confidence and the offense’s trust in his ability to make plays downfield.
Daniels has been impressive off the field even with the distractions surrounding him. He’s written or edited four books that have established his influence and expertise. This multifaceted talent is testament to his footballing and holistic philosophy on development.
With game day closing in, Daniels is still high on himself going into this game. In case you missed it, on Wednesday he affirmed his intentions to suit up for the Chargers. He is intent on doing something big to help the team succeed. If that’s what I need to wear, then I’ll do whatever it takes,” he said about wearing an ACL knee brace.
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