Commanders QB Jayden Daniels will have MRI after hamstring injury in loss to Cowboys

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will have an MRI on Monday for a hamstring injury after his right leg turned awkwardly while being sacked and losing a fumble midway through the third quarter of Washington's 44-22 loss against the Dallas Cowboys.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn didn't get into specifics about the injury after Sunday's game, but said that Daniels had felt something in his hamstring on the play before he came out of the game.

“I just don’t want to say one way or another, and not give the accurate info on that,” Quinn said, after referring to the planned MRI for the second-year QB.

Daniels grabbed at the back of his leg after being sacked by Shemar James. The rookie linebacker arrived right as Daniels had pump-faked and dragged down the quarterback.

After walking gingerly to the sideline, Daniels went briefly into the medical tent before coming out and jogging through the bench area and then into the tunnel toward the locker room with Washington (3-4) down 27-15.

“He definitely wanted back in,” Quinn said.

The Cowboys scored after the fumble, going 55 yards on nine plays for Dak Prescott’s 5-yard TD pass to tight end Jake Ferguson for a 34-15 lead.

Marcus Mariota then came in for the Commanders. He had an 18-yard completion on his first pass before throwing an interception that DaRon Bland returned 68 yards for a touchdown that put Dallas up 41-15 with 5:31 left in the third quarter.

Daniels completed 12 of 22 passes for 156 yards with a touchdown before getting hurt Sunday, when the Commanders were without their top three receivers. He was sacked twice, including the first of James’ career.

In the five games he has played this season, Daniels is 89 of 146 passing for 1,031 yards with eight TDs and one interception.

Mariota finished 4 of 10 for 63 yards and the interception against the Cowboys.

Daniels missed two games earlier this season with a left knee injury, and the Commanders split those games with Mariota.

“It’s tough. He’s been battling all year, and I know that can be very frustrating,” Mariota said of Daniels.

Mariota took over in the second half of playoff-bound Washington’s regular-season finale last January at AT&T Stadium against the Cowboys. Daniels was 6 of 12 for 38 yards and sacked four times before the break.

The Commanders went on to make their first NFC championship game in more than 30 years with the then-rookie quarterback.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels avoids a tackle by Dallas Cowboys linebacker Marist Liufau during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, left, runs with the ball as Dallas Cowboys linebacker Shemar James tries to stop him during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Shemar James (50) forces a fumble by Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

MILAN (AP) — Italian soccer is in crisis on and off the field, with another refereeing scandal emerging on the heels of the men's team's repeated failure to qualify for the World Cup.

Gianluca Rocchi, the head of referees in Serie A and Serie B, has been placed under criminal investigation for alleged sports fraud and will appear in court in Milan on Thursday.

Also under investigation is VAR supervisor Andrea Gervasoni.

Rocchi, who has been accused of influencing VAR decisions and altering the selection of referees, has stepped away from his role while awaiting further developments.

“We have a duty to guarantee that the soccer system ensures transparency and equal treatment,” Serie A president Ezio Simonelli said in a statement. “Trusting in the work of the competent bodies, it cannot be a notice of investigation that calls into question the intellectual honesty and the work of an entire system.

“If it turns out that someone made a mistake, it will be right for them to pay. But it is never allowed to question the credibility of the system and the regularity of the championship.”

Rocchi is under investigation for incidents during the 2024-25 season. He allegedly interfered with VAR protocols during a Serie A match between Udinese and Parma on March 1, 2025, by banging on the window of the VAR booth and recommending that the officials call for an on-field review of a penalty.

Italian media reports that Rocchi’s selection of referees is also being examined amid suggestions he changed the official for an Inter Milan match to one who was more favorable towards the Nerazzurri.

Inter, which finished a point behind Serie A champion Napoli, has not been implicated.

The Italian soccer federation (FIGC) investigated a complaint against Rocchi for the VAR booth incident last year but dismissed disciplinary proceedings in July. However, the issue has resurfaced with the launch of the criminal investigation.

FIGC Prosecutor Giuseppe Chiné said he is in contact with the public prosecutor’s office in Milan and will reconsider reopening the FIGC investigation if new evidence emerges.

Italian soccer was already in crisis after the national team failed to qualify for a third straight World Cup, prompting the resignations of FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and coach Gennaro Gattuso earlier this month.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

FILE - Referee Gianluca Rocchi holds the ball during a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Roma, at the Allianz stadium in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Aug.1, 2020. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)