Jayden Daniels is officially back under center for the Washington Commanders this Sunday, taking the field against the New York Giants in Week 5. This is huge news for Washington, especially after his stand-in, Marcus Mariota, pulled off a shocking Week 3 win at home over our very own defending Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks. Yeah, that one still stings a bit, doesn’t it?
The Injury Mess and That Seahawks Heartbreak
Daniels missed both Week 3 and Week 4, sitting out after a gruesome left elbow injury in Week 2 that literally saw him carted off the field. Talk about a gut punch. Mariota stepped in, and while he delivered that frustrating win against our Hawks, his time as starter ended just as abruptly. He picked up an MCL sprain in his right knee during Washington’s Week 4 loss to the Indianapolis Colts over in London. Get this, he already had that same injury in the preseason! Now, rookie undrafted free agent Athan Kaliakmanis is the presumed backup to Daniels. Clearly, Washington’s QB room has been a revolving door, and getting their main guy back is critical after handing a loss to our reigning champs.
Daniels’ Wild Ride and His Giants Domination
Daniels is a big deal, no joke. He had an insane 2024, snagging Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and leading Washington to their first playoff win since 2005, even making it to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since ’91. But his sophomore campaign in 2025? Absolute nightmare. He missed two starts with a knee injury, then another with a hamstring, and later an elbow injury in Week 9 basically ended his season early. He only played in seven games, and Washington crashed hard, finishing 5-12 and missing the playoffs entirely. Staying healthy has to be priority number one.
The good news for Washington is that Daniels absolutely owns the Giants. Historically, New York has Washington’s number, boasting a 108-75-5 all-time record against them, making the Giants second in NFL history for wins against any opponent. But when Daniels is under center? It’s a different story. He is 3-0 against New York, having swept them in back-to-back seasons. In those three starts, he’s thrown for 668 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions, a sweet 107.4 passer rating, and completed 70.4% of his passes. Plus, he’s a threat on the ground, adding 147 rushing yards. This guy clearly knows how to turn the tide in that rivalry.
So, what’s riding on this one? The Giants are sitting pretty at 3-1, leading the NFC East, even after losing their starter Jaxson Dart for the year with a knee injury in Week 2. Veteran Jameis Winston is at the helm for them, in their first year with former Ravens coach John Harbaugh. Meanwhile, Washington is struggling at 1-3, already 0-2 in divisional play with road losses to Philly and Dallas. The Giants, on the other hand, already beat the Cowboys at home in Week 1. This isn’t just about Daniels returning; it’s about Washington trying to salvage their season, and the Giants trying to hold onto their division lead. We’ll see how Daniels fares this Sunday, and then they’ll square off again later in New Jersey on November 12. You know we’ll be watching!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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