ASHBURN, Va. — With seven minutes and 39 seconds left and down 38-7 to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night, the Washington Commanders’ ugly season got a whole lot worse: Quarterback Jayden Daniels was lying on the ground, in pain, after suffering a dislocated elbow when he was sacked.
As Daniels, the franchise’s present and future hope for success and the player who led Washington to its first NFC Championship Game appearance since the 1991 season, slowly left the field with his injured arm in a cast, the inevitable questions began: Why? What now? What more can go wrong?
Sam Cosmi said.
«Distraught,» tight end Zach Ertz said.
The Commanders (3-6) have been devastated by injuries and player absences since training camp opened. In fact, Daniels and the entire starting offense has not been together since the NFC divisional playoff win against the Detroit Lions in January.
But Daniels and the Commanders now have the aforementioned questions to answer, plus a few more that project into the future: What does his recovery look like? What can they do to help him in the future? Why was he still in the game? How does the injury affect Washington’s offseason plans?
ESPN Commanders reporter John Keim, senior writer and injury analyst Stephania Bell, senior NFL insider Dan Graziano, analytics writer Seth Walder and draft analyst Jordan Reid answer all the pressing questions surrounding Daniels’ injury.
Marcus Mariota will replace Daniels, as he has already for three games this season. Mariota, the second overall pick in 2015, has started three games and replaced Daniels in two others. In those games, Mariota has completed 56 of 88 passes for 639 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions.
He’s more comfortable operating the no-huddle at a quicker pace and has excelled at times in the run-pass option game. Washington also calls more designed runs for Mariota, whereas Daniels has been considered more dangerous as a scrambler.
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The Commanders are 1-2 in Mariota’s starts and lost both times he had to replace Daniels.
But it’s hard for Washington to adjust given their lack of offensive weapons. Of the top four receivers entering the season, only one — Deebo Samuel — will likely be available when Washington hosts Detroit Sunday, and the Commanders could have three receivers active who either opened the year on the practice squad or were added in-season.
They also can’t run the ball. Washington’s running backs rank 30th in the past four weeks, averaging 66.8 yards per game, and rank 25th in yards per carry at 3.7.
Mariota had a lot more success taking over for Daniels in 2024. He subbed for an injured Daniels twice and led Washington to wins each time. In those games he completed 33 of 41 passes for 366 yards, with four touchdowns and no interceptions. But he was working with a much healthier offense.
That’s not the case this time. Until they get Terry McLaurin back from his quad injury or even Noah Brown, who will be on injured reserve until at least next week, then the offense just lacks pop. And the defense has regressed — in the past five weeks Washington ranks 31st in yards per game and yards per play.
Punter Tress Way said last season the Commanders learned that with Daniels they were never out of a game. But this season, it’s a bleak outlook no matter who’s at quarterback. — Keim
Why was Daniels still in the game?
It was a question asked multiple times after the game to coach Dan Quinn. He did not say why Daniels was still in the game, but Quinn did say he wasn’t «at that space» to take him out. Quinn said they were «more conservative in that spot to run and hand off.»
The drive began with 12 minutes, 30 seconds left in the game. Washington ran nine plays before Daniels was injured, with four runs and five passes — he was in danger of being hit one time and scrambled to his left to avoid pressure.
The speculation stems from a quarterback who has lost snaps this season after missing three games with injuries. It could be that Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury wanted Daniels to get more work; Seattle also did not have many of its starters still in the game. Following that thinking, they likely wanted the offense to finish on a stronger note in an attempt to build momentum for future games.
In Daniels’ first game as a rookie, Washington finished with a late touchdown drive in a 37-20 loss. Rather than take him out, the Commanders put him back out with 3:29 to play. They scored a touchdown and, in ensuing weeks, the offense soared. In the 2024 regular-season finale, Quinn pulled Daniels at halftime of a game vs. Dallas. Daniels was not effective in the first half and Quinn said he had «mild leg soreness.» They also had clinched a playoff berth by that point and he was pressured on 37.5% of his dropbacks (fourth most of the season) and sacked four times in the first half. Washington won the game on a last-second Mariota touchdown pass and Daniels flourished in the postseason.
Those who wanted Daniels pulled Sunday night can point to this: He was pressured by Seattle on a career-high 51% of his dropbacks — and 61% in the second half — according to ESPN Research. On the fateful play, after Daniels opted not to hand the ball to running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., a defensive end was immediately in his face, prompting him to try and run to the right. He had two receivers to that side, but by the time they broke, Daniels was in scramble mode. He failed to outrun linebacker Drake Thomas. It led to the injury and a question that will be asked for many months. — Keim
Laremy Tunsil, drafting right tackle Josh Conerly in the first round, signing right guard Sam Cosmi to an extension before the 2024 season, and signing center Tyler Biadasz in free agency. They also drafted Brandon Coleman in the third round in 2024, but he was benched in favor of Chris Paul after Week 2.
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But they need more playmakers around him. Once McLaurin was hurt (quad), Washington lost any chance for a consistent deep passing attack. The Commanders drafted Luke McCaffrey in the third round in 2024 and Jaylin Lane in the fourth round in April and traded for Samuel. However, without McLaurin, Washington has faced a steady diet of man coverage because opposing defenses don’t fear the wideouts and have focused on stopping the run.
Washington needs more high-end offensive skill talent — even when McLaurin returns, and particularly in 2025 — to make sure this doesn’t happen more in the future. The Commanders also need to develop a consistent rushing attack.
Simply put, they need more offensive weapons — receivers, tight ends or backs — capable of consistently beating man coverage. That would force defenses into different looks while also giving Daniels the ability to get rid of the ball quicker and therefore scramble less. — Keim
Could the Commanders add a QB before the deadline, or are they comfortable with Mariota and Josh Johnson?
If we learn Daniels is out for a significant period of time — like the rest of the season — I could see them adding a quarterback just so they have more than two. But that doesn’t have to be via a trade, and I don’t believe this is a Jake Browning/Cincinnati situation where Washington feels it needs an upgrade at the starting QB spot. The Commanders have full belief in Mariota’s ability to run their offense. Players on that team have told me on multiple occasions that they believe Mariota to be one of the top 32 quarterbacks in the league and that they see themselves as having two starting QBs with Daniels and Mariota.
So while, yes, the Commanders are likely to want to add a QB to their room if Daniels is out for a long while, I don’t think they’ll suddenly be elevating it to the top of their pre-deadline priority list. This team has other issues, especially on defense, that it would need to address if it decided to be in the business of trading picks for players here in the next day and a half. — Graziano
What are the Commanders’ chances without Daniels according to FPI/remaining schedule strength?
We have FPI set to consider Daniels out until the final four weeks, and then it gives him a 25% chance to return in every game thereafter as a rough estimate based on ESPN’s reporting. Given that framework, the model views Washington’s season as effectively over, with 6.2 total projected wins and a 2% chance to make the playoffs. It’s hardly a surprise, after being embarrassed by the Seahawks on Sunday night to drop its record to 3-6. Even accounting for Daniels’ missed time this season, the Commanders have disappointed. They entered the season eyeing another deep playoff run; instead, they ought to be considering dealing players away before Tuesday’s trade deadline. — Walder
What about the draft? Where is Washington predicted to pick, and who could it now target in Round 1?
According to ESPN FPI draft order projections, the Commanders are projected to pick at No. 8, and it could be even higher if things go really sideways. It would be an opportunity to address a defensive unit that has struggled to generate pressure this season, and defensive end is atop the needs list in Washington. Auburn’s Keldric Faulk and Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. are two pressure generators who could help solve the Commanders’ pass-rush problems right away. Both players have two sacks this season but have the traits to consistently get after the QB. — Reid
