Jayden Daniels injury update: Adam Schefter reveals latest on Washington QB's status vs. Chicago

It was a scary moment for Washington Commanders fans when rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels left the game against the Carolina Panthers with an injury. Now, his status is up in the air.

In an injury update that Adam Schefter shared during an appearance on SportsCenter on Thursday morning, he revealed the latest on Daniels ahead of Washington’s game against Chicago. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a positive update.

“The week is not off to a good start,” Adam Schefter said. “Jayden Daniels did not practice yesterday and the head coach, Dan Quinn, has already said that Jayden Daniels is week-to-week, which is really code for unlikely to play this upcoming week.”

After getting knocked out of the game against Carolina with an apparent rib injury, Daniels needed X-rays and was seen in street clothes later in the game. Later, his mother posted to social media that initial tests showed Daniels would be fine. Still, he didn’t return to that game, and it was Marcus Mariota who played fairly well in relief of the young quarterback.

“Now we’ll see if he can make it back to practice today. If he can, he’ll have a chance to play Sunday against Caleb Williams and the Bears. But if Jayden Daniels doesn’t make it back today in practice, that would be a sure sign that Marcus Mariota is in line to start Sunday’s game as (Daniels) continues to recover from that rib injury right now.”

Through seven games this season, Daniels has completed 75.6 percent of his passes for 1,410 yards and six touchdowns to only two interceptions. He’s also a dual threat, rushing for 372 yards and four touchdowns.

The matchup against the Chicago Bears was one of the most anticipated this season for the Washington Commanders and Jayden Daniels. That’s not too surprising given that it comes against Caleb Williams, who was the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, taken just one slot before the Commanders chose Daniels.

At 4-2 and coming off three straight wins, the Bears seem to be getting better each week with their new quarterback. Meanwhile, Washington is sitting at first in the NFC East at 5-2 largely because of the play of Daniels.

While Washington didn’t need Jayden Daniels to beat Carolina, the Commanders are going to need him for the Commanders to reach their long-term goals. With each of their NFC East rivals coming up in Washington’s next four games, getting Daniels healthy is going to be key.