Jayden Daniels wants to be out there with his teammates.
No one will blame the Washington Commanders' second-year quarterback for that sentiment, not one bit.
But should the Commanders let Daniels get back out there? That's a different question.
Daniels is returning from a dislocated elbow to play in Week 14. The only reason he hurt that arm in nasty-looking fashion in the first place was that he was still playing in a game the Commanders trailed by 31 points with seven minutes to play.
The season is at a state a lot like that game.
The Commanders enter Sunday at 3-9, technically not mathematically eliminated but only because the math is being kind.
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This Commanders' season is over. All that matters is figuring out the best way to rebound in 2026.
No matter what happens, they need Daniels available for Week 1 of 2026. That's the priority at this point.
This isn't exactly the same as when Robert Griffin III played on a clearly injured knee and was never the same. But given that this franchise went through that, it seems caution with Daniels would be advisable.
Maybe they do indeed plan to sit him for a week or two at the very end of the season and just want to evaluate their roster with their starting QB on the field for a few games first. That's fine, in theory.
And the Commanders certainly know whether Daniels' left arm is at any risk of re-injury or not.
But there's a risk here. The Commanders don't gain much by playing Daniels down the stretch. There's a lot more to lose.
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