Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels will forever be intertwined as the No. 1 and No. 2 picks, respectively, in the quarterback-loaded 2024 NFL Draft. But right now they're unfortunately tied together by a different bond: Both young stars suffered injuries in Week 2, with Williams hurting his hamstring on a non-contact play and Daniels dislocating his left elbow while trying to brace his fall after getting stepped on by an offensive lineman. For Williams, it's his first significant NFL injury; he has started all 36 games (including playoffs) since being drafted by Chicago.
For Daniels, it's the fourth significant injury he has suffered since the start of last season and his second left elbow dislocation in the last 11 months. Both players will be out for at least some time, though further testing -- beginning Monday -- will provide a clearer timeline. Playing on a rain-soaked field, Williams took a bootleg dropback and outraced Andrew Van Ginkel to the edge.
But in doing so, he pulled his right hamstring and quickly went down in pain. He needed help getting to the sideline and was then carted off the field. Caleb Williams -Took a long stride to avoid the tackle and went down non-contact.Not seeing too much at the knee.This one could just be a hamstring injury but I’ll keep analyzing it. pic.twitter.com/rGwh2a1xmD Caleb Williams had to be helped off the field after that last play.📺: FOX/FOX One pic.twitter.com/ecsgk7fwdi The non-contact aspect was initially the most worrying part, but he and the Bears appear to have very much avoided the worst-case scenario.
You could kind of see in real time," coach Ben Johnson said. "I'm actually happy it's nothing with the knee; that was my first inclination. But yeah, the hamstring could be pretty damaging as well.
So, we'll see how bad it is tomorrow and we'll go from there." Daniels, meanwhile, suffered a dislocation of his left elbow in a very similar manner to the way he suffered his first one last year. This time, he got stepped on by left guard Chris Paul and, trying to brace is unnatural fall, put his left arm on the ground. Viewer discretion is advised below. #JaydenDaniels @Commanders By video, clear left elbow dislocationSimilar to last seasonJoint comes out easier 2nd timeOriginal ligament tear heals "looser"Will be ruled OUT 2nd half #WASvsDAL pic.twitter.com/777bekF7pC Daniels stayed down for several minutes before being carted off with a towel draped over his head and face.
Coach Dan Quinn said X-rays showed no fracture and that Daniels would fly home with the team and undergo further testing on Monday. Several reporters noted Williams (who did not meet with the media postgame) walked through the locker room without crutches and perhaps a slight limp. That's obviously better than "on crutches" or "with a significant limp," but hamstrings can be tricky, and the testing will reveal more.
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