Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will start on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, head coach Dan Quinn said Friday.
It’s some long-awaited news for Commanders fans. Daniels will start in the Week 14 matchup at Minnesota.
Quinn said Daniels is medically cleared after suffering a dislocated non-throwing elbow in Week 9, paving the way for the quarterback to start again after missing three games.
After winning the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award last season and playing in every game, Daniels already has missed six games to injuries.
Asked Wednesday whether he is optimistic that Daniels will be able to return against the Vikings, Quinn said he was “optimistic he’s going to get a lot of reps for practice.”
During the brief portion of practice that was open to reporters on Wednesday, Daniels was throwing on a side field with the other quarterbacks, including top backup Marcus Mariota. Washington is 1-5 in the games Mariota has started this season, including overtime defeats against the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos in the past two outings.
Tests last month showed that Daniels did not need surgery.
Daniels hurt his elbow in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 2, when his left arm bent awkwardly as he braced himself while being tackled in the fourth quarter. Washington already was down by 31 points at the time, and Quinn acknowledged the next day that it was a mistake to still have his starting QB in the game.
Asked last month whether there was any thought given to shutting down Daniels for the season, Quinn replied: “That’s not something we really discussed internally.”
Stay with NBC Washington for updates on this developing story.
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
Want more insights? Join Working Title - our career elevating newsletter and get the future of work delivered weekly.
