Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels left Washington’s 40-7 blowout win over the Carolina Panthers early on Sunday afternoon with a rib injury.
While he didn’t return, backup Marcus Mariota had no issue finishing the game and leading the Commanders to the win.
Daniels left in the first quarter after taking a couple of hard shots after running with the ball on Washington’s first drive, which set up a field goal to put the Commanders up 10-0. The defense opened the game with a pick 6.
Daniels grabbed at his ribs while getting up after a tackle. He was in pain on the sideline working with athletic trainers.
After trying to throw the ball a bit on the sideline, Daniels left for the locker room. He slammed his helmet down to the ground hard as he walked off the field at Northwest Stadium.
The Commanders said Daniels was questionable to return with a rib injury, and then they ruled him out for the rest of the game just after halftime. Specifics of his injury are not known.
Daniels’ mom provided a promising update on social media midway through the second quarter. Daniels was in street clothes on the sideline in the second half.
Daniels went 2-of-2 for 6 yards through the air, and he had three carries for 50 yards on the ground.
Daniels has dominated this season, his first in the league after his Heisman Trophy campaign with LSU last fall. The rookie entered Sunday’s matchup with 1,404 yards and six touchdowns with two interceptions while leading the Commanders to a 4-2 start. He’s thrown for at least 230 yards in every game but his NFL debut, and he mounted a four-game win streak before last week’s 30-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Daniels went 24-of-35 for 269 yards with two touchdowns in that defeat.
While Mariota struggled on his first drive — the Commanders went three-and-out — he mounted a five-play, 59 yard touchdown drive on his second time out to push Washington’s lead to 17. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. carried that drive with four runs, including his 8-yard touchdown that came after Noah Brown drew a pass interference call to put the Commanders in scoring position. By that point, the Commanders had 118 of their 120 yards on the ground.
Mariota finished throwing 18-of-23 for 205 yards with two touchdowns in the 33-point win. He hit Zach Ertz for a 12-yard touchdown just before halftime, which gave Washington a 27-0 lead at the break, and then found Ben Sinnott for a 3-yard score in the third quarter. Robinson finished with 71 yards and a touchdown on his 12 carries, and Terry McLaurin had 98 receiving yards on six catches on six targets.
Andy Dalton finished throwing 11-of-16 for just 93 yards and two interceptions in the loss for the Panthers, who have suffered four straight defeats and dropped to 1-6 on the season. He was briefly replaced by Bryce Young late in the fourth quarter, despite taking the starting job from Young earlier this season. Chuba Hubbard led Carolina on the ground with 52 rushing yards, and he scored the Panthers’ only touchdown.
The Commanders, who now sit at 5-2 this season, will host the 4-2 Chicago Bears next week.
