Commanders take unnecessary Jayden Daniels risk the Bears avoided with Caleb Williams

With the Chicago Bears set to play in the Hall of Fame Game last week, all eyes were on Caleb Williams, the player Chicago just took with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Unfortunately for fans watching, Williams did not play a single snap in that game.

As unfortunate as it is to have to wait for Williams to play, the Bears had no real reason to play him over one month before Week 1 of the NFL season took place. The Bears will have ample opportunity to play Williams over their other preseason games rather than risk injury to the future face of their franchise.

The Washington Commanders are in a similar position to Chicago. No, Jayden Daniels is not Caleb, but he was taken with the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft right behind him. Instead of keeping Daniels on the sidelines for Week 1 of the preseason as the Bears did with Williams, the Commanders are planning on having the 23-year-old play. That feels like a very unnecessary risk.

Commanders set to take unnecessary risk with Jayden Daniels that Bears smartly avoided with Caleb Williams

How much Daniels plays or if he even starts remains to be seen, but he'll be in uniform and taking at least some snaps under center. While yes, it's good for Daniels to get some reps, again, it feels like an unnecessary risk.

First of all, let's take a look at the Commanders' Week 1 matchup. They're set to face the New York Jets on Saturday, August 10, at MetLife Stadium. You're really going to play your most valuable player almost one month before Week 1 of the regular season kicks off at MetLife? Did they not see what happened to Aaron Rodgers on that same turf last season? Have they not seen so many others suffer brutal injuries on that turf?

What makes Daniels so special is his ability to be a dual-threat with his arm and his legs. Do the Commanders really want him using his legs at MetLife during a meaningless game?

Getting Daniels some reps against NFL-caliber defenses is important, but this just does not seem smart. What's the reward here? Even if Daniels plays extremely well, what do the Commanders gain? Again, this game does not count, and there are two more preseason games upcoming. Whether Daniels plays well or not, he's still their future.

Knowing that and the history of injuries at MetLife Stadium in particular, it makes little sense to have him play. Hopefully, Daniels will be limited in terms of snap count and can get through this game healthy.