Jayden Daniels missed Washington Commanders practice again on Friday in a huge blow to his chances of playing on Sunday.
Daniels is yet to practice since sustaining a rib injury in last week’s victory over the Carolina Panthers.
It means he is now unlikely to play against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, with backup Marcus Mariota expected to start.
The game against the Bears would have seen Daniels, the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, go up against the No. 1 overall pick – Caleb Williams.
Williams against Daniels would make this just the sixth time in the league’s common draft era that began in 1967 that QBs taken first and second have faced off the season after getting drafted.
Jayden Daniels missed Washington Commanders practice again on Friday due to a rib injury
‘It really means nothing,’ Mariota said with a laugh, nine years after he was the No. 2 pick and faced Jameis Winston in one of those previous games. ‘Jayden does a great job of kind of always being present. That´s very unique for somebody his age. I think he´s very much about the process and finding ways to get better, regardless of what the circumstance or situation is throughout the week.’
Williams is playing his first professional game in the area where he grew up, living in the District of Columbia as well as locations in suburban Maryland. He said he needed all of his allotted tickets.
‘Since I left high school, I haven´t been back other than, I think, one or two times,’ Williams said. ‘Being able to go back and share that experience, it´s going to be great. It´s going to be fun. To come out with the win is going to be most important.’
The Bears (4-2) are coming off their bye and have not lost since Sept. 22. Williams has thrown for seven touchdowns and just one interception over the past three games, growth that’s not surprising to Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who coached Williams in his job as a senior analyst at Southern California last season.
‘Just a tremendous competitor, wants to be great, works at it and just insane talent – some of the freaky (Patrick) Mahomes-tpe throws he can make and vision, extending plays, the things he can do,’ Kingsbury said. ‘Freaky talent. Watching the stuff he´d do in practice and in the games, his ability, his feel – really, really special. He´s going to be one of the top guys in the league for a lot of years, so that was cool to get to spend time with him last year.’
Daniels has thrown for 1,410 yards and six TDs and run for four more to lead the Commanders (5-2) to the top of the NFC East. Williams has 1,317 yards passing and is not far behind in the race for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Even with that competition, Commanders coach Dan Quinn said the prospect of facing Williams was not what was motivating Daniels to play.
‘They´re not playing against one another,’ Quinn said. ”Anybody, anywhere, anytime´ is really the mindset for him. I think at his core, that´s one of the things I really admire about him is just his readiness, his wanting to go prove it.’
More to follow.