The Washington Commanders entered the 2025 season with high expectations, but things haven’t gone according to plan. After a 28-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8, the Commanders sit at 3-5, and their franchise quarterback, Jayden Daniels, remains sidelined with injuries.
NFL Insider Adam Schefter Weighs In on Jayden Daniels’ Injury Status
Daniels, who delivered one of the best rookie seasons by a quarterback in recent memory, has already missed three games this year — and may not be ready to return in Week 9. Appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show,” NFL insider Adam Schefter cast doubt on Daniels’ availability for the Commanders’ Sunday Night Football matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
“I just think a guy that’s had a knee injury and a hamstring injury… hamstrings, you gotta be really careful with that,” Schefter said. “I won’t be surprised if we don’t see Jayden again on Sunday night.”
The Commanders have taken a cautious approach with Daniels since he strained his hamstring in the third quarter of their Week 7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Team doctors confirmed it was a low-grade strain, and coaches opted to rest him in Week 8 to avoid further complications. Backup Marcus Mariota started against the Chiefs and played efficiently early before the team’s offense stalled in the second half.
What Daniels’ Injury Means for the Beat-Up Commanders
Daniels’ absence has highlighted the Commanders’ growing list of injury problems. The team has already lost multiple key players to injured reserve, including defensive ends Deatrich Wise Jr. and Dorance Armstrong, and running back Austin Ekeler. Wide receiver Noah Brown and safety Will Harris are also sidelined, while left tackle Laremy Tunsil left Monday’s game with a hamstring issue.
Receiver Terry McLaurin, who missed his first games since 2018 after a quad injury, has also been sidelined. Before the season, McLaurin held out of training camp while negotiating a new deal, though he ultimately signed a three-year, $96 million extension in late August.
“Everybody goes through it in this league,” offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said, via ESPN. “But we haven’t consistently been able to practice as a unit since training camp started. That’s where maybe some of the inconsistency is showing up.”
Kingsbury noted that the offense has yet to take a single snap with its projected starting lineup. Right guard Sam Cosmi just returned from an ACL tear, while others are still working their way back to form. “Until we get some of these other pieces back, we’re not going to know exactly what we are,” Kingsbury said.
Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin Are Key to the Commanders’ Success
The Commanders’ offense has struggled to regain the chemistry it had last season, particularly between Daniels and McLaurin. When targeting McLaurin this year, Daniels’ QBR sits at 48.8, a sharp drop from 89.4 last season.
McLaurin downplayed the correlation, saying his slow start was simply the result of missed time. “I think there’s correlation, but at the same time, I think what happened to me was just unfortunate,” McLaurin said. “It’s the irony of missing time. I’m sure that [the data] shows some sort of correlation, but for me, it was never something that was on my mind or a concern because I felt like I was in really good shape.”
The Commanders return home for their Week 9 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, who sit at 5-2 and rank first in the league in run defense. Even if Daniels is cleared to play, Washington will face one of its toughest tests of the season.
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