If you want to know why certain teams never sustain any type of success — why they are who they are — then just look at what happened with the Washington Commanders and quarterback Jayden Daniels in Week 14.
Daniels, starting for the first time after dislocating his left elbow in a Week 9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, appeared to re-injure that same arm and was forced out of the game trailing 14-0 in the third quarter.
Daniels was hurt trying to make a tackle after throwing an interception. The Commanders lost, 31-0, to drop to 3-10 overall. It was Washington’s eighth consecutive loss and eliminated them from the playoffs with 4 regular season games remaining.
“Commanders QB Jayden Daniels is questionable to return today due to another left elbow injury,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account.
It was the fourth time Daniels has been hurt this season. He missed 2 games with a sprained knee, 1 game with a pulled hamstring and the last 3 games with the dislocated left elbow.
Were Daniels to have come back with the Commanders still in the playoff race, it would be hard to argue against bringing hm back.
Playing Daniels with a 3-9 record and the season all but over seems inexcusable.
“Watch Jayden Daniels on this play,” SM Highlights wrote on its official X account. “He fell on his arm, and immediately went out of the game … we should be questioning why he is even playing?”
Marcus Mariota, who is 1-5 as a starter this season, was brought in to replace Daniels.
Commanders One Generation From ‘Ruining’ RG3
One season after Daniels was the toast of the NFL after he led the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game and was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, the 2024 No. 2 overall pick now serves mostly as a reminder of what happened to another young Commanders quarterback and No. 2 overall pick.
Any injury to Daniels is sure to draw comparisons to 2012 No. 2 overall pick Robert Griffin III — another former Heisman Trophy winner like Daniels — who also led Washington to the playoffs and was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
As a rookie, Griffin sprained his LCL in a Week 14 game against the Baltimore Ravens and head coach Mike Shanahan brought him back for a Wild Card loss to the Seattle Seahawks and he tore his LCL and ACL. It was later revealed the Commanders played Griffin without getting cleared by famed orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, the team doctor.
Griffin was never the same player and eventually lost his job to Kirk Cousins.
“This is organizational malpractice to have Jayden Daniels out there today,” The Ringer’s Raheem Palmer wrote on his official X account. “Feels like we’re witnessing RG3 part 2.”
Commanders Roasted for Playing Daniels
It’s safe to say everyone in the Commanders organization will have to answer for why Daniels was even playing — and most of the heat will be on head coach Dan Quinn.
“Dan Quinn going to hell for bringing Jayden Daniels back,” X user They Know TG wrote.
“Dan Quinn tryna turn Jayden Daniels into the next RG3,” Public Enemies podcast wrote on its official X account.
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