Daniels targets Week 5 return after London loss — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Dan Quinn said the hope is Jayden Daniels returns in Week 5 against the Giants, with a target of full practices Wednesday through Friday after he was limited this past week.
- Daniels dislocated his left elbow in Week 2 against the Cowboys — his second such dislocation in under a year — and the No. 2 overall pick in 2024 played only seven games last season.
- Marcus Mariota is believed to have aggravated a preseason MCL injury in the first quarter of Sunday's 30-13 loss to the Colts in London, forcing Washington to its third quarterback.
- Athan Kaliakmanis, a seventh-round rookie out of Rutgers, entered after 12 plays and threw his first NFL touchdown pass but also had a costly interception, with the Commanders scoring only once across his 10 drives.
- Washington's supporting cast is equally banged up: left tackle Laremy Tunsil tore his triceps in training camp, right guard Sam Cosmi is recovering from a Week 2 concussion, and wideout Terry McLaurin (hamstring) sat out Week 4.
- Commanders running backs managed just 49 yards on 18 carries in London, and Quinn stressed the need to establish the run rather than turn Daniels into a pure dropback passer upon his return.
Why it matters: Washington sits at 1-3 with three quarterbacks down and a battered offensive line (Tunsil out, Cosmi recovering, McLaurin sidelined), making a Week 5 Daniels return the only path back to competitiveness — yet the same left elbow has dislocated twice in under a year, and last season he re-aggravated it upon returning and didn't play again.
Ask SkimNews
