Commanders Reveal What Viral Jayden Daniels Clip Didn’t Show

ASHBURN, Va. — Washington Commanders players said Wednesday that a short clip from Fox’s broadcast of Sunday’s 37-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys did not show how the team responded after Jayden Daniels dislocated his left elbow.

The clip showed a number of Commanders players walking past Daniels at AT&T Stadium while athletic trainers worked on him. According to ESPN’s John Keim, it led to multiple posts on social media. Analysts also compared the scene to Monday night, when New York Giants players gathered around quarterback Jaxson Dart after he injured his knee against the Los Angeles Rams.

Left tackle Brandon Coleman and fellow lineman Josh Conerly Jr. were among the last two players to leave the field Sunday. Backup quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Athan Kaliakmanis stayed with them.

“It’s bulls— what people are saying,” Coleman said. “Jay’s our guy and he’s been our guy. There’s no malice behind it.”

Washington trailed 17-10 and had the ball at the Dallas 1-yard line on the final play of the first half. Daniels had his foot stepped on while pulling away from under center, and he lost his balance. He tried to steady himself with his left arm as he fell backward, and the elbow dislocated.

Center Nick Allegretti said after the game that he called for the trainers. Daniels got up and started to run off with his left arm clutched to his side, then went back to the ground as some teammates paused, saw the trainers coming onto the field, and kept walking.

Because it was the last play of the half, players were unsure what they were allowed to do and how long they could stay out there. Keim reported that almost all of the players the camera caught walking past Daniels waited on the sideline and watched from there. A number of them went back to his side once trainers had popped the elbow into place.

Dan Quinn Says Officials Cleared The Commanders Off The Field

Commanders coach Dan Quinn chose to run a play from the 1 rather than attempt a field goal before halftime, and he said after the game that he did not regret it. On Wednesday, Quinn said it was the referees who were clearing the field.

“When the half is over, the referees are saying, ‘Man, I can’t delay the half. They can’t stay on the field,’” Quinn said. “The players were like, ‘No, we want to stay.’”

“So it’s just the opposite of that,” Quinn continued. “They were gutted. They love this guy. So halftime was hard and emotional in that space.”

An NFL halftime lasts 13 minutes. One player told Keim that Quinn instructed the team to go back to the locker room. Another player, who stayed on the sideline, said an official told him there were eight minutes left and they had better head inside.

Players from nearly every position group were seen standing around Daniels, including offensive linemen, defensive linemen, defensive backs, receivers, and running backs. Linebackers were seen leaving as Daniels’ cart drove away. Coleman said Quinn told most of the players to go into the locker room.

“We stayed on the field and once they got it situated and did what they had to do we checked on him,” Coleman said. “Dan told most [players] to go into the locker room. But it’s tough to go in when you see something like that. You see the whole starting line out there, a bunch of receivers, some defensive guys.”

Receiver Terry McLaurin said in Arlington on Sunday that Daniels went down while Washington was trying to score before halftime.

“It took the air out of us a little bit,” McLaurin said. “Just trying to score before half, and he went down. We know we had to get back in the locker room to make our adjustments, but no one wanted to leave the field. That’s our brother.”

Ben Sinnott Responds As Marcus Mariota Takes Over For Jayden Daniels

Some players acknowledged the first look at the clip. Conerly, running back Rachaad White, tight end Ben Sinnott, and guard Sam Cosmi were among those walking off the field as Mariota headed toward Daniels. White later said he had tears in his eyes as he waited on the field.

Sinnott and Daniels came into the league in the same 2024 draft. Daniels went second overall and Sinnott went in the second round.

“All that stuff is ridiculous,” Sinnott said. “As far as the love and brotherhood we have for Jayden, it’s really strong. We’ve seen how hard he worked to get to where he’s been.”

Daniels dislocated the same elbow late in the fourth quarter of a 38-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 2, 2025. Almost the entire Washington sideline emptied to surround him after trainers tended to him. He returned four weeks later and reinjured the elbow trying to make a tackle after an interception in Week 14 at Minnesota. He did not play again that season.

The 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year played in seven games in 2025. Before Sunday’s injury, he had gone 11-of-17 passing for 96 yards and a touchdown and had run 7 times for 69 yards.

Mariota went 11-of-16 for 111 yards and a touchdown in the second half as Washington fell to 0-2. Quinn said Monday that Daniels had an MRI, but he declined to give a timeline. Mariota will start Sunday against the Seahawks.