Jayden Daniels will start for Commanders on Sunday after injuries

After winning the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award last season and playing in every game, Daniels already has missed six games to injuries.

Asked Wednesday whether he is optimistic that Daniels will be able to return against the Vikings, Quinn said he was “optimistic he’s going to get a lot of reps for practice.”

During the brief portion of practice that was open to reporters on Wednesday, Daniels was throwing on a side field with the other quarterbacks, including top backup Marcus Mariota. Washington is 1-5 in the games Mariota has started this season, including overtime defeats against the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos in the past two outings.

Tests last month showed that Daniels did not need surgery.

Daniels hurt his elbow in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 2, when his left arm bent awkwardly as he braced himself while being tackled in the fourth quarter. Washington already was down by 31 points at the time, and Quinn acknowledged the next day that it was a mistake to still have his starting QB in the game.

Asked last month whether there was any thought given to shutting down Daniels for the season, Quinn replied: “That’s not something we really discussed internally.”

At a Thanksgiving dinner giveaway in Prince George’s County, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels said he is taking his return from injury day by day.

Stay with NBC Washington for updates on this developing story.