Hogs Haven
Washington Post (paywall)
The Commanders’ health concerns deepen as their franchise quarterback nurses a sprain ahead of Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Quinn said Daniels underwent an MRI exam following the game, but the coach did not specify the nature of the injury. A person familiar with the matter said the 24-year-old quarterback was diagnosed with a knee sprain.
Quinn indicated that Daniels suffered the injury on the first play of the fourth quarter, when he turned away from a rushing Micah Parsons and was hit by Javon Bullard.
“He’s already begun his return-to-play process with us. He is truly day-to-day,” Quinn said. “What does that mean for Sunday? I can’t tell you that now. I’ll have more to share on that when we get to Wednesday and practice and what that would look like.”
Quinn said he anticipates the Commanders will have a better sense of Daniels’s availability Friday, two days before they host the Raiders.
We’ll just take it as it goes through the week,” he said. “But he’d have to see all of the steps along this week to hit those marks — the speed, the stopping, the change of direction, all of it.”
While Daniels did not miss a snap against Green Bay, he wore a brace on his left leg in the locker room after the game. He also appeared to be walking with a slight limp as he arrived at his postgame news conference. Asked about his health Thursday night, the quarterback said only, “I’m good.”
“If called upon, [Mariota] is an elite competitor, teammate, player,” Quinn said. “… Our confidence in him is through the roof based on who he is, the teammate, what he’s shown to us here.”
Washington lost four starters to injury during their loss to the Packers, including two who are set to be out for the year.
The Athletic (paywall)
For Daniels, not playing may be the toughest challenge.
“That’s just who he is, which I also love about him, by the way,” Quinn said. “But that’s my job, to make sure that one, I’m getting all the information from the medical side — is he hitting all the tests? — and then you also have to trust your eyes. Where’s he at? Where are we going? … And then before we even get onto the practice field, they have to go through a pretty strenuous testing to see where they’re at, even before the actual on-field reps begin.”
Last season, Washington had the luxury of having almost all of its roster healthy late in the season and into the postseason. This season is shaping up to be quite different, with the extensive list of injuries only two weeks in.
Quinn has made rest and recovery an emphasis, particularly with his veteran players, but facing another...
