3 Commanders to blame for wasting a year of Jayden Daniels’ rookie contract

The Washington Commanders can't seem to catch a break. Just when the fanbase thinks the team is turning a corner with a franchise quarterback and exceeding expectations, the universe brings them all back down to Earth in the most violent way possible.

Their 2024 first-round QB Jayden Daniels suffered a gruesome dislocated elbow in the team's 38-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football. He will be out indefinitely, and his football future is closer to uncertain than anyone finds comfortable.

This year was Daniels' second season in the NFL, but his injury (thankfully to his non-throwing arm) could impact him for years to come. After this season, he'll be halfway through his four-year, $37.7 million rookie deal. Even post-injury, he's sure to command a hefty price tag, but the team has only gotten 23 games out of him.

But here's the thing: It was all avoidable, from the baffling decision to leave him in during a blowout to the mistakes by teammates that set off a chain reaction across the offense.

Who’s to blame for Jayden Daniels’ lost season?

Dan Quinn, head coach

Washington was down multiple scores heading into the fourth quarter with very little on-field evidence to suggest a comeback was even in the realm of possibility. To any football mind, Daniels shouldn't have been on the field at all, let alone engineering a meaningless touchdown drive. But head coach Dan Quinn made a judgement error.

"I've been thinking about it nonstop too and, man, I missed it," Quinn told reporters on Monday. "That is 100 percent on me."

Hindsight is 20/20 but Quinn has almost a quarter-century of coaching experience in the NFL to recognize when a game is out of hand and playing starters just isn't worth it anymore. Earlier in the second half, the team punted from midfield when the situation necessitated a four-down mindset. That should've been the end of any competitive effort from the starters.

Now, Daniels will be sitting out the rest of this season and hoping to be back in 2026, year three of his four-year contract. He'll get a lot more leeway than other 2024 QBs in terms of judging success, but this was an avoidable waste even if the team wasn't going back to the playoffs.

Terry McLaurin, wide receiver

You might wonder why McLaurin is catching a stray for Daniels' injury, but hear me out. McLaurin held out most of training camp in order to secure his new contract. He deserved every bit of that contract, but given that the final number came in well below his original asking price, it’s fair to wonder if all the noise was really worth it.

As a result of the holdout (and subsequent hold-in), McLaurin started the 2025 season well below his expected production and fitness level. He's missed five games to injury, and had he been healthy, Daniels may not have been in such a dire situation on Sunday night. It's a flimsy domino effect, but injuries have sent the team into a tailspin, which in turn affects the decision-making process for the coaches.

McLaurin's holdout did not cause Daniels' injury. But it sure did set in motion the demoralizing events that led to it.

Northwest Stadium

That dreaded facility has claimed yet another victim. Daniels marks at least the eighth high-profile incident of major injury occurring on the premises, including Adrian Peterson (ACL and MCL in 2011), Robert Griffin III (ACL in 2013), Kirk Cousins (foot in 2013), Alex Smith (leg in 2018), Joe Burrow (knee in 2020), Ryan Fitzpatrick (hip in 2021), Eagles fans and almost Jalen Hurts (2022).

The Commanders cannot get out of that place and have the new stadium built fast enough. It's not even the turf that's the problem like at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The air surrounding that space just feels haunted. Although the old RFK site was host to Joe Theismann's gruesome leg injury too. Maybe it's the franchise. Who knows?