Commanders' Dan Quinn makes strong statement about Jayden Daniels' status for Colts game

It was learned earlier in the week that injured quarterback Jayden Daniels would travel with the 1-2 Washington Commanders for their Week 4 game against the Indianapolis Colts (1-2) in London this coming Sunday. 

Daniels was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, and Commanders head coach Dan Quinn made it known that he won't rush the 2024 first-round draft pick back into action until the signal-caller is deemed ready to play.

Commanders won't put Jayden Daniels back on the field "before he's ready"

"We won't put him out there before he's ready," Quinn said of Daniels, per John Keim of ESPN. "That's why it's important to trust the process. But him being back on the field, that's a good step for us."

Daniels hasn't played since he suffered a dislocated left elbow in Week 2 of the campaign back on Sept. 20. This past Sunday, backup Marcus Mariota completed 19-of-31 passes for 183 yards and three touchdowns to help the Commanders earn an upset 33-31 home win over the Seattle Seahawks. Mariota will get the nod for the Colts game if Quinn and Co. decide to sit Daniels for at least one more week. Washington hosts the rival New York Giants for a Week 5 matchup on Oct. 11.

Jayden Daniels knows what it takes to recover from and play through this particular setback

Daniels dislocated the same elbow last season, and he was ultimately limited to just seven starts for the campaign before he was shut down after he aggravated the injury. Quinn suggested that Daniels' prior experience will help the signal-caller this fall. Daniels sported a black brace during Wednesday's practice, and he is expected to wear it during games through the end of this season. 

"His drive is always strong to return to play," Quinn added about Daniels. "Any athlete would probably tell you when you're going through something a second time, there's a known entity of what the road looks like. We all feel that way. He does know what that process looks like, and the mobility and the strength. There's a known entity of when you're ready."

As of Wednesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Commanders as 3.5-point underdogs against the Colts.