Dante Fowler 1 scaled Washington CommandersGeoff Burke/Imagn Images

His mom said he was fine, along with a Hail to the Commanders hashtag. Thanks to social media, the DMV exhaled a collective sigh of relief over the status of Jayden Daniels. The sensational rookie quarterback left late in the first quarter of Washington’s 40-7 win over Carolina with a rib injury and did not return.

While the mother of a 23-year-old rookie is generally a reliably good source, his coach Dan Quinn didn’t reveal much after the game, saying only that Daniels would undergo further testing on Monday. Daniels sustained the injury after leading the team to a field goal on Washington’s first offensive series. Afterward, none of Daniels’ teammates seemed worried about his health, especially after the Commanders (5-2) exploded for 421 total yards, including 214 on the ground.

“I’m not going to speculate on his injury, but he’s a tough guy and I know he’s going to do whatever it takes to try to be ready for next week,” said leading receiver Terry McLaurin, who had six catches for 98 yards.

Daniels was tough enough to finish that first drive before heading to the locker room. Despite his early departure, he still finished with 50 rushing yards, including a 46-yard run around right tackle on the team’s first offensive snap.

Backup Marcus Mariota and the Commanders didn’t really need Daniels against Carolina (1-6). Mariota seamlessly picked up where Daniels left off, finishing 18 of 23 for 205 yards and touchdown passes to tight ends Zach Ertz and Ben Sinnot.

“At the end of the day, we won handily and I think the defense did an unbelievable job,” said McLaurin, now has now played with 14 Washington quarterbacks.

That unbelievable job, a good sign in the wake of significant injuries on Washington’s defensive front, showed up on the first series. Not even four minutes into the game, 261-pound defensive end Dante Fowler caught Andy Dalton’s overthrown screen and raced 67 yards for the Commanders’ first points. In fact, Washington intercepted Dalton on two of the first three Panthers possessions and held Carolina to six first downs through the initial three quarters. They finished with only 180 total yards.

Assuming Daniels can return, the Commanders are set to host Caleb Williams and the 4-2 Bears on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS) in a clash of rookie quarterbacks selected first and second overall in the 2024 draft.


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By Zak Gilbert

Since his freshman year at the University of Colorado, Zak Gilbert has worked 30 years in sports, including 18 NFL seasons. He's spent time with four NFL teams, serving as head of communications for both the Raiders and Browns. A veteran of nine Super Bowls, he most recently worked six seasons in the NFL's New York league office.

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