Jayden Daniels was being helped on a cart following his left elbow dislocation when Marcus Mariota trotted out to meet him.
The Commanders fallen starting quarterback and his veteran backup didn’t say much at the time, Mariota’s message was this:
“You’re not going through this alone.”
Mariota is with Daniels more than most during the workday, and he knows how difficult missing so many games last year was on Daniels and how hard he worked to regain full health.
This Daniels injury, to put it mildly, was
a real blow.
“It sucks. You can’t really put it into words,” Mariota said. “You watch that kid battle through all that he’d been through last year. It’s just unfortunate, but that’s an incredible locker room and he has an incredible support system. We’re going to everything we can to get him back and get him right.”
While more detailed imaging on Monday is required, both head coach Dan Quinn and receiver Terry McLaurin expressed optimism that Daniels will return this season. That’s ultimately unknown.
The Commanders found resolve at halftime, right after the injury, with Quinn, safety Jeremy Reaves and even rookie linebacker Sonny Styles speaking to the team at the break.
The message from each guy was clear.
This sucks. But we’ve got to rally.
“I was disheartened for him,” Quinn said. “I know what he has gone through to go. I know we all wanted to play so well for him in that space. To see him in that spot, it stung for the guys. It was tough.”
The Commanders weren’t able to overcome Daniels’ loss or an early deficit, and ended up dropping to 0-2. Daniels was seen by on-site reporters in a sling after the game, with an uncertain future regarding how much time he’ll miss.
It’s a major blow for the Commanders, who will operate with Mariota as their signal caller, as they did for most of last season.
Mariota played relatively well, completing 11-of-16 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown, and should’ve had another score if not for a terrible incomplete pass ruling on a Dyami Brown catch in the end zone.
Mariota was heavily involved last season, when Daniels missed 10 games and finished only four. There’s confidence that the Commanders can carry on with their backup quarterback at the helm, but there’s plenty of time to talk about that. Right after the game, the focus was on Daniels and his latest injury.
“Man, are we bummed for (Jayden),” Quinn said. “He was really playing his ass off. We will rally so hard around Marcus until Jayden gets back. That’s what we talked about as a team.”
