Washington Commanders star rookie Jayden Daniels may not be returning to the game against the Carolina Panthers after suffering a rib injury in the first quarter.
Daniels was clearly frustrated on the sideline after attempting to make some throws to see if he could play through his ailment, but he felt the pain. The No. 2 overall pick slammed his helmet down on the turf before being escorted to the locker room to undergo X-rays.
Daniels was listed as questionable to return to the game as Marcus Mariota took over at quarterback for the Commanders.
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It’s unknown when exactly Daniels suffered the injury, but he did hit the ground hard after busting out a 46-yard run on his first touch of the game.
As the CBS broadcast showed, Daniels went down awkwardly on his next run attempt and was then hit on second-and-goal for a loss of three yards. The Commanders would eventually kick a field goal to make it 10-0 – Washington had a pick-six on the first drive of the game – as Daniels received medical attention on the sideline.
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Daniels has been the Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner this season, as he’s been electric for the 4-2 Commanders entering Sunday.
With his mixture of sharp passing skills and elusive running abilities, Daniels has been wreaking havoc on opposing defenses to start this season.
The Commanders averaged 378 yards of offense per game before facing the Panthers while being tied for the second-most points (29.7) per game.
Daniels led the NFL entering this week with a 75.3% completion rate on his passes, which went for 1,404 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. And with his legs, Daniels has rushed for 322 yards with four scores.
The Commanders got out to a strong lead in the first half, and fans may feel better after seeing Daniels, despite being in street clothes, run out with his team for the second half.
Daniels was spotted giving thumbs up to the fans who cheered for him, showing that he does feel fine. However, the injury was enough for the Commanders to keep Mariota in and be cautious.
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