The Washington Commanders are about to hit the road once again to take on the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Here are four storylines to watch throughout the week.
1. Jayden Daniels’ health.
There was no surprise when head coach Dan Quinn ruled Jayden Daniels out for last Sunday’s game. Daniels hadn’t been cleared for contact, and despite him returning to practice, the Commanders have been cautious with his recovery all season.
One week later, Daniels is still not cleared for contact, although there’s a better chance of him playing against the Vikings.
“It’s a little different at the position because it’s not the normal contact like a linebacker or a running back, so it’s more of the functional contact,” Quinn said Monday. “Think of stiff arm on a bag, think of diving on the ground. So, there’s more functional movements that he’ll go through.”
Quinn said Daniels went through some of that functional contact during Monday walkthrough and promised that he would do more throughout the week. As for when he’ll be cleared for contact, that decision likely won’t be made until Friday when the team has another full week of evaluations on Daniels to determine whether his elbow can handle the physical demands that come with the position.
Regardless of when it happens, it seems inevitable that Daniels will return at some point in the final five games. The Commanders have made it clear they want to end the season on a positive note, and getting their starting quarterback back in the lineup would certainly help.