Even after what Commanders coach Dan Quinn referred to as a “great week” of practice, quarterback Jayden Daniels will be inactive for Sunday’s game against the Colts in London.
Daniels, who dislocated his left elbow on Sept. 20, had been a limited participant in practice all week as he worked to get back on the field, but in the end wasn’t yet ready to return.
“Anytime you can practice, that’s a big deal,” Quinn said Friday. “For him to get back, that was a big step for us, to see what it would look like and where it would go.”
In the end, Daniels didn’t clear the medical hurdles necessary to compete. Quinn said they also wanted him to have more practice time, which he said Daniels will get next week as the team prepares to host the Giants on Oct. 11.
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Even though Daniels wasn’t able to make it back this week, Quinn commended his work ethic.
“Typical of him working incredibly hard to get back, doing everything he can behind the scenes to do that,” he said. “... He’s a true competitor on and off the field.”
Daniels’ attempt to come back was a tall task. When he dislocated the elbow for the first time last November, he missed three games over the course of four weeks. This season, he was attempting to cut that time in half by coming back after just two weeks.
When Daniels spoke to the media on Thursday for the first time since being injured in Dallas, he continually emphasized that he was taking the recovery “day by day.”
He also said he’d be “good to go if I’m able to go out there on Sunday.”
That didn’t end up being the case for this week, but Quinn said the quarterback is close to coming back.
“He’s more ready than you expect,” Quinn said. “That’s just how he is.”
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