Fans of the Washington Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals have been engaged in a classic sports debate.
Both teams have elite young quarterbacks recovering from injury. Both teams are facing virtually insurmountable odds of making the playoffs. The debate is over whether they should risk further injury to Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow in a lost season.
But after Burrow turned on the style on Thursday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens, any further conversations on the matter are moot.
That was always the case, to begin with. How can a franchise sell itself as legit to fans and players alike when they do not do everything in their power to win the game? Daniels is a professional football player. That is his job, whether the playoffs are on the line or not. Like all players, he intends to do his job.
Jayden Daniels needs to play, but also needs to protect himself
The challenge for Daniels is exacerbated by Washington’s schedule in the final weeks of 2025. The reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year has expressed his desire to return to action sooner rather than later. This weekend against the Denver Broncos has come too soon for the signal-caller, which isn't a bad thing by any stretch.
Denver leads the league in sacks. They have the highest percentage of quarterback knockdowns and the fourth-highest percentage of overall pressures. Delaying his return made sense, especially if the dislocated elbow needs more time to heal.
The next team on the schedule is the blitz-happy Minnesota Vikings, who pressure and knock down quarterbacks at virtually the same rate as Denver.
Washington closes out the season with two games against the Philadelphia Eagles and one against the Dallas Cowboys. Both are in the top five in knockdown percentage. The only club on the remaining schedule without a top-10 pass rush is the New York Giants, but even they rank in the top half of the league in most pass-rush stats.
There are no easy defenses. Daniels, if he plays, will be tested.
If he is healthy, Daniels has to play. This is a medical decision. Players risk injury every time they take the field, and once a team establishes that it will play scared, the competitive edge is lost. It is a bad place to be for any football team.
But Daniels — and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury — have to be smart. The former LSU star has to throw the ball away more quickly than he might like. He has to give himself up on runs. The play-caller, for his part, has to design protection that does not expose the Commanders' franchise player to extreme pressure.
Those recognitions are not concessions to the threat of injury. The principles will apply going forward into 2026. For a young quarterback, learning to protect yourself is simply part of the growth process.