Commanders' Quinn addresses his controversial Daniels decision

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn. Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Commanders HC Dan Quinn addresses his controversial Jayden Daniels decision

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Nov 3, 2025 4:24 PM ET

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn on Monday addressed his decision to leave quarterback Jayden Daniels in during Sunday night’s blowout, only for Daniels to suffer a serious injury.

Quinn admitted he had been thinking “nonstop” about his decision to allow Daniels to remain in the game even though the Commanders trailed the Seattle Seahawks, 38-7, in the fourth quarter. The coach said he “missed it” and should have had Daniels out of the game at that point.

“I’ve been thinking about it, honestly, nonstop. The answer is I missed it,” Quinn said.

Quinn elaborated that the drive in which Daniels got hurt was meant to be the quarterback’s final drive of the game. The team had also sought to call read run plays to eliminate possible carries, but failed to account for the possibility of Daniels opting to scramble.

“That’s where I missed it,” Quinn said. “Of course he could scramble. It’s Jayden. That’s what he’s special at.”

#Commanders HC Dan Quinn opened his press conference by saying he messed up by keeping QB Jayden Daniels in the game last night down by 31.

"I've been thinking about it non-stop. I missed it." pic.twitter.com/mfeDjHWq1O
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 3, 2025

Daniels wound up getting injured on a sack and dislocated his elbow while landing awkwardly. The quarterback suffered a dislocated elbow on the play, and his status for the rest of the season is in doubt.

Fans were quick to pile on Quinn as soon as the injury occurred, and with good reason. He is owning up to it now, but there was no real reason for the franchise quarterback to be in a game that the Commanders simply were not going to come back and win, especially since he was already coming off a hamstring injury. It did not matter how conservative the team was trying to be on offense.

The problem for Quinn is that he is paid to make those big decisions in real time, not to regret them after the fact. Perhaps it will serve as a learning experience, but not one that Quinn would have wanted to have to endure.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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