LANDOVER, Md. – A left rib injury to Jayden Daniels took the spotlight away from the Washington Commanders’ dominant 40-7 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
The atmosphere was celebratory at Northwest Stadium, as the Commanders honored Hall of Famer Darrell Green by retiring his number during halftime. The excitement began early when Commanders linebacker Dante Fowler scored a pick-6 in the opening quarter, followed by a spectacular 46-yard run from Daniels on Washington’s first offensive play.
The Commanders quickly built a 10-0 lead, but the game shifted dramatically when Daniels left the field to enter the medical tent and was later seen heading to the locker room visibly in pain during the first quarter.
Initially, the team reported that Daniels was questionable to return, but by the third quarter, his status had changed to out.
“You have to put that aside for the moment and throughout the game,” said Commanders center Tyler Biadasz. “It happened early, and we had to keep our spirits up and hope for the best while continuing to play.”
Head coach Dan Quinn indicated that Daniels would undergo further testing on Monday to assess the seriousness of the rib injury.
Veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota stepped in and performed well against the struggling Panthers, completing 18 of 23 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns.
“It’s not a great feeling, but we were ready to adjust. Marcus came in and did everything we needed him to do. It felt like Jayden wasn’t even missing,” said running back Brian Robinson Jr. “We really want him back out there, but I’m happy with how we adapted.”
Mariota later shared that Daniels appeared to be in good spirits after the game. “He seemed to be doing alright. We just checked on him and will take it day by day,” Mariota noted.
Mariota is known for his mobility and ability to manage games, boasting 74 starts in his 10-year career and being regarded as one of the top backup quarterbacks in the league. The Commanders’ offense remained effective in Daniels’ absence, scoring 30 points.
“It’s all about executing the game plan. Nothing changed significantly for us,” Mariota said. “We communicate about situations and scenarios all the time. We all know what we need to do.”
With the Panthers at 1-6, they were not a strong test for the Commanders without Daniels. The team cannot afford to lose their quarterback for an extended time if they aim to compete for the NFC East title for the first time since 2020.
The Commanders will be hoping for encouraging results from Daniels’ tests. On a positive note, he was seen in sweats on the sideline during the second half, smiling and interacting with fans, which suggests he was in good spirits as he recovers.