Jayden Daniels was eager to get back to playing quickly after dislocating his elbow. Some Washington Commanders fans wanted the quarterback to be shut down for the season, but that never really entered anyone's train of thought.
Now, head coach Dan Quinn might be thinking twice.
Daniels struggled to get himself into a rhythm against the Minnesota Vikings. Brian Flores' creative blitz packages were too much to overcome, leaving Kliff Kingsbury perplexed and the signal-caller under constant duress. But things were going to get a lot worse.
After throwing an interception when edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkle jumped a screen pass, Daniels inexplicably decided to chase him down. The inevitable blindside hit followed, and he fell hard on the same arm.
Jayden Daniels could have returned in Week 14, but the Commanders held him out
That was the last time the fans saw Daniels on the field. He was looked over in the medical tent and listed as questionable to return, but the Commanders didn't risk him. He looked visibly dejected on the sidelines, and there are now far more questions than answers about where this franchise goes from here.
Quinn cut a despondent figure during his postgame media availability. He lost Daniels. He also lost veteran tight end Zach Ertz, who left the game in tears on the cart after sustaining what looked like a serious knee injury. Just when it looked like things were on the up, any optimism evaporated almost immediately.
He wasn't giving too much away after the contest. Quinn said that Daniels could have returned, but he decided to hold him out. He revealed that the team was off, and there was no point risking his signal-caller's health with the contest out of sight.
So much for needing the reps to play…
Fans are furious, and rightfully so. Daniels never looked right, and the blocking concepts implemented by offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury allowed free rushers at every turn. It was a recipe for disaster right from the outset, and the result spoke for itself.
The Commanders have four games left. They are 3-10. It's been a disastrous season with very few positives. And with Daniels now clearly reaggravating the elbow problem, a serious discussion must be had about giving him the required time to get healthy before hitting the ground running in 2026.
Daniels might not like it, but it's time to think beyond 2025. The Commanders are a dumpster fire, and now Ertz is done for the year. Anything less than looking at the bigger picture is organizational malpractice.
It's that simple…