After making it to the NFC Championship Game during Jayden Daniels' rookie season less than a year ago, the Washington Commanders have been reminded just how quickly fortunes can change in the NFL.
Washington fell to the Seattle Seahawks 38-14 on Sunday night, dropping to 3-6 this season. During the loss, Daniels suffered another injury - this time far more serious - dislocating his elbow on his non-throwing arm. He is now expected to be out for an extended period.
Early Monday morning, the team received more bad news. Promising wide receiver and kick returner Luke McCaffrey sustained a broken collarbone on the opening kickoff, which will land him on IR. He will face a minimum four-game absence before the Commanders can open a 21-day return window for him.
Some positives did emerge after Daniels' injury. While he will miss an extended period, the injury isn't expected to have any long-term career implications, and there's even a chance he could return this season.
However, with the Commanders sitting at 3-6, if they fall out of playoff contention, it would be difficult to justify rushing him back unless he's fully healthy and at 100% capacity.
Their schedule doesn't get any easier in Week 10, as the Commanders are set to host the Detroit Lions at 4:25 p.m. EST.
Veteran QB Marcus Mariota will now be leading the team for the foreseeable future, with several key players now sidelined on both sides of the ball.
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