Jayden Daniels says the left shoulder isn’t a concern, and he’s not backing away from playing.
“That’s what the brace is for,” the Commanders quarterback said, via ESPN. “If I had that concern, I would have gotten surgery.”
Daniels said he has already talked with specialists and doesn’t believe there’s any long-term damage to worry about.
“Obviously you have those conversations with people I need to have those conversations with. If the surgery was needed to be ASAP, then I’ve got to do what’s best for me.
We had those conversations. I was blessed enough to go back out there on the practice field … I’m not really concerned at this moment.”
In Dallas, Jerry Jones is framing the Cowboys’ move for Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. as part of a bigger defensive rebuild. Speaking Friday on 105.3 The Fan, Jones made it clear he sees the deal as the kind of swing a team has to be willing to make.
“It’s important to think big,” Jones said Friday on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “And this is over in that big thought area about what we can do to help our defense.
It’s always fluid, and you can’t sit still. If you look at the overall picture, I frankly decided a couple of years ago to get in the business of reworking what we are defensively.”
Jones also said Porter brings traits the Cowboys believe can help.
“He’s got some different aspects to him that are pluses as player, as an athlete, his skill. So we hope that this is not only an improvement in just generally our personnel but hope it can really be one that he really finds his level of abilities or level to perform on the field. I’d hope we mirror the George Pickens move that brought him in.”
Jones said he’s expecting the Porter trade to pay off in a similar way to the George Pickens deal.
“That’s pretty high expectations, but you have to have them to make a deal like this.”
Around the league, the reaction has been mixed. Per Jonathan Jones of The Athletic, many believe the Cowboys overpaid for Porter, who is not seen as a top-tier cornerback, and some are pointing to a recent run of pricey acquisitions that includes Trey Lance, Jonathan Mingo, Joe Milton and Rashan Gary.
The Giants also made a quarterback move, landing J.J. McCarthy from the Vikings after Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending injury. Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, who coached McCarthy at Michigan, said his brother, Giants head coach John Harbaugh, reached out to him for his opinion.
“I mean, John called me and asked me,” Harbaugh said, via the Chargers’ official site. “I said, you know, John, I love you.
I love J.J. I think you guys would be…’ so, really, I’m telling you the same thing that I told my brother.”
McCarthy said the trade caught him off guard, but he’s eager to jump in.
“When I got the call from here, you know, it was a shock. I didn’t anticipate it, but at the end of the day, it’s an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to take advantage of, and, you know, I love these guys already, and I can’t wait to do it for them.”
Jonathan Jones reported that plenty of people around the league expected McCarthy to be moved for a sixth-round pick.
And with Brian Burns out for the year, Giants linebacker Abdul Carter said the pass rush has no excuse not to answer the bell.
“This is something that shouldn’t really be a question, especially if we are who we think we are. We’ve got to take this as a challenge and step up.
We’ve just got to be better. It’s as simple as that.
We’ve got to get more sacks and create more pressure.”
In Other News...
Commanders Got Pulled Into Jason Kelces Latest On-Air Awkward Moment
Jason Kelce found himself in another clumsy on-air moment during the NFL International Series game between the Commanders and the Colts, when he slipped and used Washingtons former team name. Dave Pasch quickly corrected him on the broadcast, keeping the moment from lingering too long, but it was the kind of live-TV stumble that instantly stands out when the whole audience catches it in real time.
Kelce has already had a few of these awkward broadcast miscues lately, including a separate slip on Monday Night Football when he referred to the Eagles as "we." For Washington fans, it was another reminder that even in a game with an overseas spotlight, the conversation can drift away from the action on the field and into the broadcast booth. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders London Game Suddenly Feels Very Different Before Colts Matchup
The Commanders trip to London just picked up a different kind of weight. What was already an unusual early kickoff against the Colts on Oct. 4 now has a new quarterback storyline attached to it, with Jayden Daniels sidelined and Marcus Mariota set to make the start. Washington is also carrying a mixed injury picture into the game, with Sam Cosmi and Nick Cross ruled out while Frankie Luvu and Chig Okonkwo are back in the fold.
For a team trying to keep its footing on an international stage, the ripple effects are hard to ignore. A morning kickoff alone can alter the feel of a game, but losing Daniels changes the way Washington will have to approach everything from protection to tempo against Indianapolis, even as a few injured pieces return to help stabilize the roster. The matchup still has plenty of intrigue, but it now looks like a very different kind of test for the Commanders. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Now Face A Brutal Problem Heading Into Division Games
The Commanders left London not just with a loss to the Colts, but with a deeper sense of urgency heading into the division stretch. Playing with third-string quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis after injuries sidelined Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota, Washington was already operating under difficult conditions before Indianapolis pulled away for a 30-13 win. Jonathan Taylor powered the Colts with two rushing touchdowns, and Daniel Jones added another on the ground even while his passing day never quite got going.
For Washington, the bigger concern is how thin the offense looked by the end of the trip. Wide receiver Jaylin Lane also exited with an ankle injury, adding another health issue to a unit that is suddenly scrambling for answers. With division games up next, the Commanders are facing a stretch where every missing piece matters, and the margin for error already looks painfully small. [Read more 🡒]