Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn wanted to play all his top guys in pursuit of locking up the sixth seed. Once rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a left leg issue, those plans quickly changed.
This wasn't Daniels' best afternoon at the office. The signal-caller was under constant duress, couldn't get into a rhythm, and the timing of his throws wasn't up to his typical standard. All that became insignificant when a hit left the No. 2 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft going into the medical tent for further evaluation.
Daniels got checked over and came back into the game to finish the first half. Once the dual-threat weapon was assessed at the interval, the Commanders opted to take him out of the firing line.
It was the right call to make. There is no price on playoff seeding if Daniels isn't there to spearhead Washington's quest to impose themselves on the knockout stages. Taking away any risk of causing unnecessary damage trumped any positive result.
The Heisman Trophy winner watched from the sidelines as Marcus Mariota took center stage. He sparked the Commanders' offense into life, coming through in the clutch and finding Pro Bowl wide receiver Terry McLaurin for the walk-off touchdown with just two seconds remaining to cement their sixth spot in the NFC.
Commanders took Jayden Daniels out due to soreness but nothing more
Fans were eagerly awaiting an update from Quinn regarding Daniels' condition. There didn't seem to be much concern, which provided a sense of reassurance heading into one of the most important weeks in recent memory.
The head coach revealed that switching quarterbacks was not part of the plan. However, the soreness Daniels was experiencing changed that. Quinn added that putting Mariota in was the right thing to do.
Dan Quinn said he sat Jayden Daniels because of some leg soreness that cropped up.
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) January 5, 2025
Switching QBs was not expected.
Jayden Daniels: "Just some leg soreness. At the end of the day, I respect the decision DQ and them make. Now it's just [about] getting ready for next week."
He said it's an injury/issue that came up today.— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) January 5, 2025
The Commanders aren't going to go much further in the postseason without Daniels. He dragged them into the playoffs for the first time since 2020 through a remarkable series of clutch efforts versus decent opposition. If he'd carried on in the second half and this leg complication got worse, Quinn would have taken some serious heat.
Fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Daniels came out of the contest relatively unscathed and gets a couple of days to rest up before focusing firmly on the wildcard clash. Going out on a high would have been nice, but that was not the most important thing in this instance.
Daniels will be ready to rock next weekend. His resolve, competitive spirit, and relentless drive dictate that. It's also worth remembering that he's played hurt already this season after damaging his rib against the Carolina Panthers.
There's no need to panic. That might be the biggest positive to take above all else from Washington's regular-season finale.
