Jayden Daniels injury update delivers what Commanders fans desperately needed

Jayden Daniels was itching to get back involved last weekend against the Atlanta Falcons. The Washington Commanders erred on the side of caution with their prized possession, but the early signs suggest that regular service is starting to resume.

Daniels has missed the last two games after suffering a knee sprain in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers. The Commanders weren't quite satisfied with his mobility despite the signal-caller's limited return to practice, and he stayed at home while his teammates went to Atlanta.

Considering how competitive Daniels is, this was probably an interesting conversation. Marcus Mariota is a capable understudy, but he lacks the creativity and dynamism that his teammate brings to the position under center. Reports suggested his outlook this week was much more encouraging. Dan Quinn confirmed exactly that just before preparations for Washington's trip to SoFi Stadium gathered pace.

Commanders confirmed that Jayden Daniels has been medically cleared to practice in full

The head coach revealed that Daniels had received medical clearance to practice in full. Quinn wants to see the player handle his typical workload. He wants to see his fluid movements return, and the timing with his depleted wide receiver corps click once again. After that, it'll be all systems go.

Mariota is a better backup than most around the league. But if the Commanders want to get out of their current slump and go deep into the playoffs once again, Daniels has to be healthy for the rest of their 2025 regular-season engagements.

They'll only go as far as the No. 2 pick takes them. This bears special significance given that the wideout duo of Noah Brown and Terry McLaurin is missing time.

This is the most significant positive yet. If there are no further issues, and Quinn is suitably satisfied with how Daniels is coming out of each practice session, he might not even carry an injury designation into his California homecoming.

The Commanders are a better team when Daniels is out on the field. He's a captivating dual-threat force with exceptional poise. He makes everyone around him better, and his mere presence on the field will give everyone a huge morale boost at the best possible time. You cannot put a price on that.

With prolific right guard Sam Cosmi's 21-day practice window being opened, and other injured players supposedly making steady progress, things are slowly looking up for the Commanders. But make no mistake, there is nothing more important than the face of the franchise making his triumphant return.