Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a rib injury during the Week 7 game against the Carolina Panthers, and a former NFL doctor shared his thoughts. David J. Chao went to social media to reveal if Daniels could play next week when the Commanders take on the Chicago Bears

“Jayden Daniels leaves the Commanders’ game with an apparent rib issue. X-rays seem to be negative, it’s likely a rib cartilage issue which can be more painful,” Chao said. “Not returning today because of the score, but this puts next week’s matchup with rookie sensation Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels when they play each other in doubt.”

The injury happened in the first quarter after Daniels rushed for 50 yards on three carries. During the game, Daniels’ mom said his son was “fine,” but when the game ended, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn did not provide an update.

“I don’t have a lot of information on the update yet. It sounds like a rib injury, but I don’t have an official update for you. We’ll get one as soon as possible,” Quinn said, per Sports Illustrated. “There’s a way and style we want to play. There’s a lot of ball left to play, and we’ve got a huge second half to prepare for. We’re getting the ball back out, and you’ve got to go attack.”

More on Jayden Daniels’ injury

Even if Daniels was healthy enough to return to the game, the Commanders didn’t need him as they beat the Panthers 40-7. Marcus Mariota took over for Daniels and threw for 205 yards and two touchdowns. With the win, the Commanders are 5-2 and are in first place in the NFC East.

Daniels has been a big reason the Commanders have a chance to win their first division title since 2020. The former LSU Tigers quarterback has completed 75.3 percent of his passes for 1,404 yards six touchdowns and two interceptions in his first six games this year. Daniels has also been strong in the running game, tallying 322 rushing yards and four touchdowns (not including totals from the Panthers game).