The Washington Commanders are getting a huge offensive boost in Week 14 with the return of quarterback Jayden Daniels. The 24-year-old has missed the last three games since he dislocated his left elbow against the Seattle Seahawks.
Daniels will be wearing a protective brace on that elbow as he stares down the NFL's fifth-rated passing defense in the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, but will that really be enough of a precaution?
Commanders are taking an unnecessary risk with Jayden Daniels
It seems head coach Dan Quinn is more focused on getting him reps this year rather than tending to his young QB's longevity.
"It's important for him, for his teammates," Quinn told reporters Friday. "All these [games] matter. As he's developing, there are certain things he has to work on, too, to be as competitive and take care of things."
Quinn's decision making was already scrutinized when he kept Daniels in the game late against Seattle when the lead was 38-7 with only a few minutes remaining. That's when the elbow injury occurred.
Of course, Daniels is rearing to get back out on the field, but what would one expect from a young gun like him?
"Who's to say I'm not going to go into next year healthy?" he said Friday. "We take it one day at a time and before I was getting paid I was playing it for free. I have that passion for the game. I'm a young guy, I'm still trying to develop, still trying to learn. These games are critical."
Brian Flores, Vikings smell blood in the water with Jayden Daniels
While team doctors may have cleared Daniels to play again, Quinn really should've known better than to start him against Minnesota of all teams.
All he needed to do was watch the game tape from Week 13. Despite the Vikings getting shutout 26-0 by the Seahawks, their defense limited QB Sam Darnold (one of the best passers in the league) to just 128 yards while sacking him four times.
The Vikings blitzed Sam Darnold on 60% of his dropbacks and sacked him four times as Seattle struggled with their pressure. Also an issue on a few of their four batted passes at the line. Mike Macdonald: "We could be in some different plays, some different protections on those." pic.twitter.com/ZA01LB19lV
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) December 2, 2025
Darnold was blitzed on 60 percent of his drop backs - a season high - but he's not the mobile threat Daniels clearly is. But that may be the problem for Washington. If Minnesota blitzes at as high a rate as they did against Seattle, it'll force Daniels to use his feet to keep plays alive outside the pocket and that will spell disaster.
It was on a broken play where Daniels had to scramble in which his elbow was dislocated. I'm sure Washington's coaches have told him to slide immediately going forward but it's not always going to go to plan every play.
If Minnesota is getting pressure home on Daniels, especially against Washington's already battered offensive line, he could be taking unnecessary contact just three weeks removed from a serious injury.
Quinn had a better opportunity to bring Daniels back in Week 15 against the New York Giants, who have struggled to consistently pressure QBs in the latter half of the season. The Commanders are too eager to have their first-round QB on the field with all three top receivers, but what good will that do a team if it tempts fate?