The Washington Commanders had quarterback Jayden Daniels available for seven games during the 2025 season. He finished only four of them, so it's not hard to see why there are concerns growing about his longevity in the league.
It was also why Commanders fans had hearts in their mouths when Daniels took to the field for the first time since an ill-advised early comeback from a dislocated elbow in Week 14 against the Minnesota Vikings.
Daniels was among the stars taking part in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. The former LSU star was having fun out there, from the looks of it. However, his participation and what he was doing didn't sit well with everybody.
Commanders analyst was not a fan of Jayden Daniels' involvement in Fanatics Flag Football Classic
The dynamic signal-caller running routes as a wide receiver was enough for Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan to voice his displeasure on social media. The analyst couldn't believe the Commanders were fine with this after everything Daniels went through in 2025. He came through unscathed, but the radio pundit was not alone in worrying.
"Last thing I’ll say about this, but Jayden Daniels is playing receiver, running routes, juking guys. The other team is playing like it’s an NFL playoff game. Biggest day of their careers. There have been collisions. I just can’t believe the Commanders are cool with this."
Daniels is his own man. He felt this was a risk worth taking, and everything turned out fine in the end. But the fact that Washington fans were watching with so much trepidation spoke volumes.
This is their franchise player. Daniels has to stay healthy for Washington to stand any chance of bouncing back. For all the impressive new signings with the promise of more to come, the Commanders will only go as far as the quarterback takes them.
Head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator David Blough were probably watching along nervously with the rest of us. As Paulsen stated, there were a few uncomfortable collisions during the event. Thankfully, Daniels wasn't involved, but it didn't stop Commanders fans from wincing when the No. 2 pick in 2024 tried his hand at the receiver spot.
It wasn't ideal, and some absolutely hated seeing Daniels get involved in this when so much is riding on his health next season. At the same time, he probably thought it was pretty harmless. And if the Commanders had any lingering skepticism about his involvement, they wouldn't have hesitated to pull the plug.
All's well that ended well, I guess...