The Washington Commanders have limited control over how the rest of their season unfolds. The standings already slipped away. The schedule keeps pressing forward. And right now, even the identity of the offense remains unresolved.
Everything still hinges on Jayden Daniels, and whether the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year could suit up again before the end of the season.
As of Wednesday, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is still waiting for the green light to return, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The rookie remains in medical limbo as Washington inches toward its next game with everything still unresolved under center.
“He has not yet been cleared for contact,” Rapoport said on Good Morning Football. “Dan Quinn left open the possibility that on Friday, potentially Daniels could be cleared. But if he’s not cleared, it will be Marcus Mariota again getting the start.”
Health aside, Washington’s franchise quarterback hasn’t been himself in Year 2. He’s averaged just 197.3 passing yards and 43.7 rushing yards per game across six starts. Nevertheless, he’s the Commanders’ last hope for salvaging the 2025-26 campaign.
Jayden Daniels Injury Still Controls the Commanders’ Direction
Daniels’ absence continues to cast the longest shadow over Washington’s season. The Commanders built their offense around his mobility, timing, and pace. When he left the lineup, that identity left with him.
Daniels has now missed multiple weeks with the dislocated left elbow, and every passing day without his presence forces the team to operate in contingency mode. The script changes. The protection changes, and the margin for error totally disappears.
The Commanders’ 27-26 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 13 might’ve shown their true ceiling for the remainder of the year. And at 3-9, this is a lost season. The NFC East has tilted its focus toward the Philadelphia Eagles (8-4) and Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1).
Would ‘Clearance’ for Week 14 Be In Daniels’ Best Interest?
Washington’s coaching staff cannot formally commit to either Daniels or Mariota at this stage of the week. And neither can the opponent.
“It’s a little different at the position because it’s not the normal contact like a linebacker or running back. It’s more of the functional contact,” Quinn said Tuesday, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk and NBC Sports. “Think of stiff arm on a bag, think of diving on the ground — so there’s more functional movements that he’ll go through. He did some of that today, and he’ll do more during the week. So, the practice portion, for him throwing, ripped a bunch today and threw it hard. It’s the functional movement that he’ll continue to work with. Some of that actually will be in individual and working to the side. We’ll continue to work that part, and that’s the step we need to see from a functional evaluation, functional contact. It’s not traditional in the sense of taking a hit.”
That uncertainty affects everything from third-down install to two-minute packages. Every game plan currently splits in half until Daniels hears “cleared.”
Sure, the Commanders (even winning out) can only finish the season 8-9, which more than likely won’t be enough for a Wild Card bid in the NFC. Even so, they’d need a miracle run. Week 14 vs. the Minnesota Vikings? Winnable. Week 15 against the New York Giants? Maybe. But defeating Philadelphia twice and Dallas in the midst of that? Tough .. Very tough.
But the Commanders are still playing for clarity this season. They need to know if Daniels can finish the season under real pressure, and excel against all odds. They need reps and real game situations before they throw in the towel and head to the offseason.
Most of all, they need to evaluate chemistry that has remained incomplete since September.
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