Washington Commanders star rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels will be a game-time decision for Sunday’s marquee matchup against Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears. Daniels is battling a rib injury he suffered on Washington’s opening drive of Week 7’s game against the Carolina Panthers.
Daniels missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday. However, he was a limited participant on Friday. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, he also went through Washington’s walkthrough on Saturday to get as many walkthrough reps as possible.
There is much uncertainty surrounding his availability. Yet, the team gave a promising hint about Daniels’ status by not elevating quarterback Sam Hartman from the practice squad to the active roster.
By not elevating Hartman, he is ineligible to be the team’s third emergency quarterback against the Bears. NFL rules state the emergency QB must be on the active roster. Instead, the only available options are Marcus Mariota and backup Jeff Driskel.
That means if Daniels can’t go, Washington won’t have a third quarterback available for emergency. Mariota is slated to start in Daniels’ place if Daniels does not suit up. Driskel would be the backup.
There is a scenario in which Daniels doesn’t start but dresses as the emergency quarterback. He’d only be allowed to play if Mariota and Driskell get injured during the game.
All eyes will be intrigued to find Daniels’ situation. Sunday is supposed to be a showdown of the top two picks in this year’s NFL Draft between first overall pick Caleb Williams and Daniels, the second overall pick — the last two Heisman Trophy winners. Williams is a native of Washington, D.C., starring at Gonzaga College High School (D.C.) before he starred at USC in college.
Williams had a rocky start but has settled in, guiding the Bears to a 4-2 record with 1,317 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Meanwhile, Daniels has emerged as the frontrunner for the NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Through seven games, Daniels has thrown for 1,40 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions. He has added 372 rushing yards and four touchdowns behind him.
