Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels meets with specialist to evaluate elbow injury
Washington Commanders v Dallas Cowboys ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 20: A member of the Washington Commanders medical staff attends to Jayden Daniels #5 of the Washington Commanders after Daniels sustained an injury against the Dallas Cowboys in the
WASHINGTON - The Washington Commanders are adopting a "next man up" mentality as star quarterback Jayden Daniels evaluates his future after suffering an elbow injury during Sunday's game.
What we know:
Daniels is meeting with specialists over the next two days to determine the full extent of the injury and establish a timeline for his potential return, according to head coach Dan Quinn. In his absence, Marcus Mariota will take over starting duties for this weekend's game at 1 p.m.
Rookie quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis will serve as the backup.
Quinn noted that the franchise will wait to learn more about Daniels' status before deciding whether to sign another quarterback.
This is not the first time the organization has navigated elbow concerns with Daniels. Last season, the quarterback missed a month after initially dislocating his elbow in early November, then missed the final four games of the season after re-aggravating the injury in December. Mariota filled in for eight games last season during Daniels' absence, leading the team to a 2-6 record in those starts.
Expanding girls flag football
Amid uncertainty on the field, the team remained active on Tuesday.
During a scheduled off day, the Commanders hosted a skills clinic for local students aimed at growing the game of girls flag football. Hall of Famer Darrell Green joined the event to speak to the young athletes about health, perseverance and championship readiness.
Green highlighted the importance of depth and team unity, drawing on the franchise's history of championship success behind backup players.
"Team sports is a team sport—so it’s 11 players and it’s always, as we always say, next man [up]," Green said. "That’s where it’s supposed to be... we have a team that we won a Super Bowl with [our] first African-American quarterback, the backup quarterback, who only started two games in that season and we won that Super Bowl."
As Daniels awaits medical clarity, Green's message about being ready when called upon directly reflects the task ahead for Mariota and the Commanders this weekend.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Washington Commanders.