Commanders HC: Jayden Daniels 'Not Injured Right Now' amid Rib Issue, Struggles

The Washington Commanders' offense looked unstoppable for a stretch in the middle of the season, but it has been more inconsistent since Jayden Daniels was diagnosed with a rib injury ahead of a Week 8 game against the Chicago Bears.

Yet the quarterback has not missed a game, and head coach Dan Quinn told reporters Monday, "I want to start off by saying clearly—Jayden Daniels is not injured now."

Quinn also said that Daniels missing practice time has made a difference for the offense and suggested more reps will help sort out some of the ball placement and accuracy issues that have plagued him at times of late.

From Weeks 3-7 ahead of that contest against the Bears, the Commanders averaged 35.4 points per game and went 4-1 with a seven-point loss to the Baltimore Ravens as the only blemish.

However, Daniels and the offense managed just four field goals before a Hail Mary on the final play saved the win over Chicago.

The Commanders are just 1-2 in the three games since the Hail Mary and scored just 18 points in Thursday's key divisional loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Daniels also has just 58 combined rushing yards in the last three games after running for 40 or more yards in six of the first eight games of the season.

Running clearly puts him at more risk of further injury, but it also adds another dimension to the offense that has been largely missing during the ongoing two-game losing streak.

Still, Washington is in ideal position at 7-4 with two straight home games against the struggling Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans in the immediate future. A healthier Daniels with more consistent practice time against a softer portion of the schedule could lead to better results on the field and a fairly secure spot in the NFC playoffs down the line.