General Manager Adam Peters and Coach Dan Quinn bet big on the quarterback. Now, their futures hang in the balance.
Read more The Senate map is looking even better for Democrats. Here are races to watch.
The Washington Commanders had no reservations about drafting quarterback Jayden Daniels second overall in 2024. Two years later, it would take a lot of revisionist history to suggest that General Manager Adam Peters and Coach Dan Quinn made a mistake in their decision to bet the future of the franchise on him.
Daniels won the Heisman Trophy in his final season at LSU. He had the intelligence, arm talent, instincts and athletic traits to become a star at the NFL’s most important position. Although he had a slim frame at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, he had missed just one game because of injury during his five-year college career. When he put together a historic rookie season and led the Commanders to the NFC championship game, the team was vindicated in taking him.
But after Daniels dislocated his left elbow for the second time in 10 months Sunday, it’s now uncertain whether he’ll be able to carry that burden.
Quinn said Friday that Daniels won’t require surgery or be placed on injured reserve and is considered week-to-week. But time is already running short for the Commanders to keep their season from falling apart. Washington (0-2), the only winless team in the NFC East, will attempt to upset the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks (2-0) without Daniels on Sunday at Northwest Stadium.
“It’s hard. That’s the cost of where we’re at,” Quinn said Monday. “… I know what we are capable of. And so, I’m going to push them like crazy to get there.”
If Daniels is unable to not only return and stay upright but re-establish himself as a premier quarterback, Washington owner Josh Harris will have difficult decisions to make. On top of deciding the job statuses of Peters and Quinn, he will also have the final say on whether to commit to Daniels with a contract extension. The ramifications of those choices will alter the Commanders’ trajectory for years to come.
Before Daniels went down, there were already plenty of questions about whether the Commanders could compete at a high level this season. A primary factor driving that skepticism: They had a flawed roster.
Injuries had already taken their toll by the end of training camp. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil (torn triceps) and cornerback Trey Amos (ankle sprain) landed on injured reserve. Given Washington’s biggest issues have been its pass protection and pass coverage, their absences can’t be overstated.
When assessing the roster, though, there’s an overall lack of high-end talent and quality depth. Injuries have contributed to that, but so have misallocated resources. Since taking over in 2024, Peters has had seven picks across the first two rounds of the draft. It’s too early to evaluate rookie linebacker Sonny Styles, but other high draft picks haven’t lived up to that status: defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, cornerback Mike Sainristil, tight end Ben Sinnott and Amos.
Positive results have also been sparse in the later rounds. Left tackle Brandon Coleman, running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt and wide receiver Antonio Williams are the only three starters among the 13 players Peters has drafted in the third round or later. (And Coleman is starting only because of Tunsil’s injury.) That’s simply not a high enough hit rate.
The Commanders’ veteran moves have also been a mixed bag. There have been standout acquisitions (such as Tunsil) but also massively disappointing ones (such as cornerback Marshon Lattimore).
Peters made a flurry of free agent additions this offseason, including wide receiver Stefon Diggs, tight end Chig Okonkwo, safety Nick Cross and linebackers Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson. It would be premature to make judgments on those players. But if they can’t help Washington remain competitive, that won’t look good on his résumé.
Quinn took a risk this offseason. After firing offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., he replaced them with first-time play callers in offensive coordinator David Blough and defensive coordinator Daronte Jones.
Read more A past FBI inquiry complicates Susan Collins’s campaign message in Maine
Blough and Jones both implemented multiple schemes that sought to make the Commanders more versatile and less predictable. Throughout organized team activities and training camp, coaches and players alike lauded them for how they taught their respective systems.
Quinn reorganized training camp with the intention of making it more competitive. That included having more “call it” drills, which were unscripted periods where Blough and Jones had to make decisions on the fly. He believed that would help them compensate for their lack of experience once the season arrived.
Through two weeks, the Commanders are 19th in scoring offense and 27th in scoring defense. That’s not going to cut it on either side of the ball.
It’s no surprise that Blough and Jones have faced growing pains, and it’s too soon to judge them. For Quinn, though, the clock was already ticking when he hired them. It’s not necessarily fair to Blough and Jones, but they always needed to produce immediately. If they don’t, the blame will fall on Quinn’s shoulders.
Daniels knew he had to do a better job of protecting himself. From a physical perspective, he bulked up to make his body more durable.
The biggest change, though, was mental. He worked to become a better decision-maker. He accepted the Commanders’ desire for him to scramble less and execute fewer designed runs. Rather than fight for extra yardage, he would aim to slide more often to avoid contact. Instead of trying to make something out of nothing and putting himself in harm’s way, he would throw the ball away more frequently.
None of those alterations to his play style and mindset could have stopped him from tripping on left guard Chris Paul’s foot and dislocating his elbow when bracing his fall. For all intents and purposes, his injury was a fluke. Of course, that won’t stop the consequences.
Daniels, who turns 26 in December, is eligible for an extension after this season. Washington’s willingness to give him one won’t be a discussion if he gets healthy and performs like an elite quarterback again. At this point, that can’t be considered a guarantee.
Following a rookie year where he played in every game, Daniels missed 10 because of injury last year. This season, he will probably miss at least a few. It would be a dicey move for the Commanders to commit major guaranteed money to Daniels if they have questions about his durability.
On the flip side, there’s not much incentive for Daniels to sign a deal that doesn’t come with that. Despite his injuries, he’s still a young player who has shown he can be one of the best quarterbacks in the league. That type of talent doesn’t make a commitment without significant assurances.
An additional factor: The Commanders may have a high first-round pick if this season continues to go downhill. If they have reservations about Daniels, they could be in a position to draft another top quarterback prospect.
Naturally, how this all plays out depends on what happens the rest of the season.
For years, the Commanders’ calling card was dysfunction and instability. In the first year with Peters, Quinn and Daniels, it looked like they finally ended that cycle. Now, Washington finds itself teetering on the edge of an overhaul yet again.
Read more Inside the alleged plot to attack Trump’s birthday UFC fight
