Thankfully, the debate is over. On Friday, Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn made it official: quarterback Jayden Daniels would be back in the starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.
There would be no more debates on whether the Commanders should sit Daniels for the remainder of the season because they’re 3-9 and have lost seven consecutive games. Many fans and analysts were split on this topic. We stated our case on why Daniels should play once he was healthy.
After winning the 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award, Daniels has had a season to forget. He suffered a strained hamstring in Week 2 against the Packers and would miss two games. He returned in Week 5 and looked outstanding, leading the Commanders to an impressive road win over the Chargers.
Things appeared to go off the rails for Washington in a Week 6 loss to the Chicago Bears. Daniels played well outside of an early interception and appeared close to clinching the win for the Commanders, until he fumbled a handoff, giving the Bears excellent field position. Chicago would win the game on a last-second field goal. Washington hasn’t won a game since.
In Week 7, Daniels sprained his knee and would miss the following week. He returned in Week 9 and suffered a gruesome elbow injury. Fortunately, it was only dislocated, not fractured, and Daniels returns on Sunday.
Daniels made it clear that if he’s healthy, he wants to be on the field. That’s the right attitude. And Washington had no plans to shut him down once he was 100%.
When Quinn announced Daniels would return in Week 14, he explained why it was important for Daniels to finish the season.
“Yeah, it’s really important for him, for his teammates, for any of the guys, honestly,” Quinn said on Friday.
“And looking into it with five games, that’s 30 percent of our season. There’s a lot; all these matter. And as he’s developing, there’s certain things he’s working on too to go ahead and be as competitive as hell and taking care of things that he can. And so, it’s really important. And so, as the process for that begins, we’re ready to get rolling with that.”
Quinn was absolutely correct here. As great as Daniels was as a rookie, he’s missed a lot of time this season. When he’s played, he’s been without his top receivers, including Terry McLaurin. McLaurin returned last week. If Noah Brown plays on Sunday, it will be the first time since Week 2 that Daniels has had his projected top three receivers on the field with him.
Daniels hasn’t been as sharp this season. He’s not been bad, just not as sharp, which is expected when he’s in and out of the lineup and playing without his top playmakers. So, even if Washington is out of the playoff race (not officially), every rep matters for Daniels. While momentum from one season never carries into another, the live reps are more important than anything else.
The Commanders proved in last week’s overtime loss to the Broncos that there’s a lot of fight left in this team. Don’t tell Quinn and these players that the rest of the season doesn’t matter.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Dan Quinn on why Jayden Daniels should return
