A disappointing season for the Washington Commanders turned into a nightmare on Sunday night when QB Jayden Daniels suffered his third and most serious injury of the season, dislocating his elbow in a blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
While Daniels avoided a fracture and actually hasn't yet been ruled out for the season because the injury is to his non-throwing arm, his impending absence is making 2025 effectively a lost season for the No. 2 pick after a historic rookie year and NFC championship game appearance.
The Commanders' season was already teetering when Daniels went down. He suffered the injury while trailing 38-7 deep into the fourth quarter, leading some to ask why coach Dan Quinn had him in the game at all in his first game back from a hamstring ailment.
Here's what you need to know about the backlash Quinn is facing and his explanation for keeping Daniels in the game.
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Commanders kept Jayden Daniels in game why?
Quinn told reporters after the game that he didn't regret keeping Daniels in the game, and said he was "gutted" by the result.
"Obviously, the hindsight, you don't want to think that way where an injury could take place," Quinn said, explaining that the play-call was intended to be more conservative than how it actually unfolded. "It's not a scramble. It wasn't a designed read or play into that spot. If we run it 50 times, it's usually a handoff or a throw I'd say 50 times."
Instead, Daniels faced instant pressure from an unblocked Mafe and tried to take off running toward the end zone before an awkward landing on the tackle bent his arm in the wrong direction.
On Monday, Quinn admitted he should have approached the situation differently. "I've been thinking about it nonstop too and, man, I missed it.... That is 100% on me," he told reporters.
Quinn faced heavy criticism from fans for leaving Daniels in the game while trailing by 31 in the middle of the fourth quarter, particularly in the young quarterback's first game back from a hamstring injury.
Robert Griffin III, who infamously tore his ACL against the Seahawks in a playoff game he says he didn't believe he should have played in, was among those who ripped Quinn.
"My first thought is, 'Why is he still in the game,'" Griffin said in a social media video. "The Seattle Seahawks had the game won. I understand you want to play 'til the end, but with the injuries he's already had this year and the injuries he had last year, why is he in the game? It doesn't make sense."
WHY WAS JAYDEN DANIELS EVEN STILL IN THE GAME?!?!?! Pic.twitter.com/p5giPL9oE3
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) November 3, 2025
Griffin said he wanted the Commanders to hold Daniels out until after their Week 12 bye, though he acknowledged it was a "freak injury" unrelated to the knee or hamstring issues the young quarterback already dealt with earlier in the season.
Daniels didn't miss a game during his rookie season, but a knee ailment cost him two games early this season before a hamstring injury forced him to miss a prime-time game against the Kansas City Chiefs before his return on Sunday night.
MORE: Inside Sam Darnold's dominant game vs. Commanders
Jayden Daniels: What's up?
Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow in his non-throwing arm during a "Sunday Night Football" loss to the Seahawks. While Daniels avoided a fracture, test results will determine whether he suffered significant ligament damage.
Daniels took off running on a play Quinn later said is almost always either a throw or a handoff, and he had little choice with a Seahawks defender in his face shortly after the ball was snapped. The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year tried to get toward the end zone but was taken down behind the line of scrimmage and landed awkwardly on his left arm, which bent backward as it pressed into the turf.
The Commanders' medical team quickly placed Daniels' arm in a brace and brought him back to the locker room for evaluation.
Here's a look at what kind of recovery time Daniels is facing.
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Jayden Daniels injury update
As of Monday morning, Daniels hasn't yet been ruled out for the season. He does not have a fracture, so his timeline for return may be determined by what kind of ligament damage he might have suffered when he dislocated his elbow.
The injury is to Daniels' non-throwing arm, which will speed up the recovery process for the former Heisman Trophy winner.
Of course, a Daniels return this season wouldn't be guaranteed even if he recovered in time to play a game or two. The Commanders face a highly unlikely path to the playoffs at 3-6 and with Marcus Mariota at quarterback for the foreseeable future, so Quinn and Washington might again be faced with the question of whether to play their franchise quarterback in moments that don't actually matter.