Commanders risking franchise future by playing Jayden Daniels

'We Haven't Really Gone Down That Road'

With news coming Wednesday from head coach Dan Quinn that Daniels will be forced to sit out this weekend’s game against the New York Giants after aggravating the left elbow injury he suffered previously, some think it’s a sign that the quarterback won’t play again this year. Listening to Quinn talk about the matter, however, the door is far from closed that we see No. 5 on the field again this season.

“I recognize the question,” Quinn said on the topic. “It's an easy one to go and we haven't really gone down that road yet to decide.”

“He'll practice as we're going in a limited fashion. But let's see where we're at next week. We're always going to make the best decisions for him, you know, for the team, and what the medical opinions are.”

Quinn says that even with just three games left to play after this weekend’s bout with the Giants that there are still plenty of reasons for Daniels to get into the mix. 

“We were probably talking about 30 percent of the season to go and to gain experience. …And at quarterback, the reps, you know, are significant because they're just, there's like so many things that happen on a play where it can go, what's the check, what's the look? It's different than maybe a technique at another spot.”

'Not Going to Live Scared'

While Quinn maintains that Daniels will have to be medically healthy enough to play again, he asserts that the team isn’t going to hold out a physically capable player simply because the potential for injury persists every time he steps onto the field.

“I can promise you that,” he says. “But we're going to do everything and all the time, like great decisions for him, for the team and where we're at.” Quinn also added, “we're not going to live our whole life scared.”

Fear is no way to live, or coach, or play, I think we can all agree on. Those who argue the point would say that shutting Daniels down after a three-injury season with one aggravation isn’t fear, it’s understanding that this year isn’t one worth rolling the dice on.

But competitors live to compete, and football players want to–understandably–play football.

Mariota Steps In Again

“So just like most players, you talk to him on a Sunday and then again what Monday feels like and not quite the same of swelling or strength and those things to go into it,” Quinn said.

“I know he is doing everything in his power to do that,” said quarterback Marcus Mariota, who will once again start in Daniels’ place in Week 15. “And then for us, it's just a great opportunity to go play football and I'm looking forward to it and making sure our guys are ready. …“He's very much engaged, very much trying to help where he can. And I think that's great for him.”

And while Daniels won’t be on the field, there’s value to be found in what the quarterback is living through this season, according to Mariota. “I think for him to be able to go through some of this, to go through this adversity, it's really going to set himself up for his future and his career.”

So, you won’t see Daniels on Sunday. But that doesn’t mean you won’t see him the following Saturday, or even Christmas Day against the Dallas Cowboys, or in Week 18 when the Commanders close out 2025 on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles. Those doors, and the possibility Daniels plays again, are still wide open, says Quinn. 

“If there was a chance to improve over these next games ahead, we were going to go after that as hard as we could, knowing that it would pay dividends in the future.”