Bear Digest

Update on Jayden Daniels' Injury Casts More Doubt on Quick Return

Analysis: A report by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport uses the world "doubt," in relation to Jayden Daniels' injury status for Sunday against the Bears.

Gene Chamberlain

Jayden Daniels' status for Sunday's game remains a real question, or in this case, in doubt.
Jayden Daniels' status for Sunday's game remains a real question, or in this case, in doubt. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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Words with twisted meanings continue to be thrown around regarding the health of Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who is supposed to face the Bears Sunday in Landover, Md.

One day after Daniels injured his ribs and left a 40-7 win over Carolina after 10 plays, coach Dan Quinn labeled his QB "week to week." However, Quinn also said he's hoping Daniels can feel well enough to play on Sunday.

During the press conference, he added, "... we'll see where he is going through the steps at practice this week. And we'll make a decision as we go, but literally, we're not going to miss one step of this, all the way through. It's really important to get it right and we will."

This is much more of a day-to-day approach than a week-to-week approach, which is when a player is in the trainer's room or doing rehab work from the action and practice, then comes back after regaining his health. Ths is usually in a matter of weeks and not a couple of days.

Expecting a quarterback to play this week after he was just injured and has been labeled "week to week," is truly twisting the phrase's meaning and is deceptive.

If the chance exists Daniels can play this week, Quinn should have more accurately labeled his QB "day to day."

An example of week to week is the injured heel Keenan Allen had. He was week to week, missed two games and tried to practice in Week 4, was able to and then returned. A day-to-day injury is more like the knee injury Rome Odunze suffered in the opener. He was day to day, practiced on a limited basis during the week, then played in that week's game without missing playing time.

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On Tuesday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport took it all down toward another level of confusion.

"The rib injury, which actually happened on that first (46-yard) long run, (he) did play some snaps after but did not look like himself, ended up watching the game from the sideline," Rapoport said. "My understanding is his status for this Sunday's big-time showdown with the Chicago Bears and Caleb Williams—it was so attractive it was actually flexed to the 4 p.m. (Eastern time) spot—that is now very much in doubt."

Again, the word "doubt," just like in week to week, suggests Daniels is missing this week's game but a more accurate phrasing of his status would have been that it is in "question," rather than doubt.  The basis for saying this is simply Quinn expressing he was still hoping Daniels can play Sunday.

Again, if they hold out hopes Quinn could play Sunday, then they should be labeling the QB's status as "in question," and day to day instead of in doubt or week to week because they mean entirely different things.

The best idea for the Bears is simply figure Daniels is playing because backup Marcus Mariota is a fairly mobile QB, anyway, although nowhere near the same class as Daniels.

Fans will simply need to watch the injury report Wednesday for a better gauge on how Daniels is looking. If he practices on a limited basis, it's looking positive. If he doesn't practice and doesn't practice Thursday, then it's not looking good for his return. If he's practicing on a limited basis, it's more positive.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.