There is no way Jayden should be playing against the Bears this Sunday unless he is 1,000,000% healthy

I know everyone wants to see Jayden vs. Caleb this weekend. I want to see it, you want to see it, grandma (RIP) wants to see it. WE ALL want to see it. But here’s the problem: unless Jayden is literally 100% healthy and pain-free at the start of the game, there is no reason for him to play. Playing with a lingering rib injury instead of waiting a week for it to heal sounds like one of the worst ideas ever to him. I recommend that you be overly careful with him. We need to zoom out and look at the bigger picture, the broad scope of what’s at stake, and not just this Sunday’s game against the Bears. As much as it sucks, even if he feels like he can “play through” it, I just don’t see the benefit.

I completely understand that Jayden is a tough guy and a damn good football player. So even if he were 80% pain-free, he could of course still play at a very high level. But what then? What if he takes another shot in the ribs? What if he hesitates to get the extra meter because he feels pain in his ribs and doesn’t want to risk anything? What happens when gambling makes what’s already hurt worse? I don’t think it’s worth taking a chance in Week 8 of his rookie year. Yes, I want him to win OROY. And I think it would be great to see him go up against Caleb in his rookie season.

But we must remember that this is not supposed to be the Super Bowl year. Yes, they look great. I believe this team can beat any other team on any given Sunday.

But at the same time, that’s not the goal of this season. This season is about development and rebuilding and spending a ton on free agents next year as we have 122 million headroom through the 2025 season. Next year, after a solid draft and some key signings to fill holes in the defense, it will be a completely different story. But for now, and yes, I may have scars from the Ghost of RG3 Past, I don’t need to push back on Jayden. Let those ribs heal and get back out there feeling electric in week 9. I preach caution at the highest levels. I firmly believe this is a long-term game, and after 25 years of Snyder, we can’t put short-term satisfaction over long-term gain.

But hopefully the treatment holds up and we see Jayden vs. Caleb in their first of many great showdowns this Sunday. If not, we’ll probably have to wait for the NFC Championship Game.