Saying it has not been an ideal season for the Washington Commanders would be an understatement.
The team had high hopes after going on a surprising run to the NFC Championship Game last season. However, injuries and inconsistency have seemingly doomed the team’s season as they now sit at 3-8 entering Week 12.
No injuries have been more impactful than the ones suffered by star quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels has played in only six games this season, and his most recent injury occurred in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks. It was initially feared to be season-ending, but it was then reported that the quarterback could be back after the bye week.
Well, the Commanders are on bye in Week 12, and NFL insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano provided an update on Wednesday.
Graziano believes that, even despite the Commanders’ struggles, the team still plans to insert Daniels back into the lineup as soon as he’s cleared.
“From what I’ve been told, the plan in Washington is still that Daniels will return to the starting lineup once doctors clear him from his elbow injury,” Graziano said.
However, Fowler believes that shutting the young star down for the season remains a real possibility.
“That tells me that shutting him down remains a possibility, based on his durability this season (three separate injuries) and the team’s current standing,” Fowler explained. “Big-picture talks about how to proceed will play out over the coming days and provide clarity one way or the other.”
The team’s record certainly has to play a role in whatever the team decides. The playoffs are almost certainly out of the picture now, and risking Daniels’ future in a lost season seems foolish.
Graziano also added that Daniels “will lobby to get back on the field as soon as he can.” The fact that the latest injury wasn’t to his legs or his throwing arm may make the team less nervous to get him back on the field.
The Commanders still have 11 days before their next game against the Denver Broncos. It will be interesting to see what develops over the bye week.