Washington’s logic for leaving Jayden Daniels in late against Seattle wasn’t reckless bravado; it was calculated.
As The Athletic’s Dianna Russini explained, the staff wanted the offense to find rhythm and confidence to carry into next week, not to “sacrifice” their quarterback. Dan Quinn owned the fallout after Daniels’ gruesome elbow dislocation, saying the decision was on him.
With Washington sitting at 3-6 and their quarterback sidelined, the margin for error is gone. But the rationale behind keeping Daniels in was about building something solid, not grandstanding in garbage time.
The parallels between Jayden Daniels and Robert Griffin III are hard to ignore. Both were No. 2 overall picks by Washington. Both were injured on the same field, near the 4-yard line, on 2nd down in the fourth quarter. Both injuries came against the Seahawks, as noticed on X (formerly Twitter).
That said, the differences matter. RGIII tore his ACL and LCL in a playoff game, while Daniels dislocated his elbow in Week 9 of the regular season. Thirteen years apart, the echoes are eerie enough to give Commanders fans flashbacks.
Context matters for why Daniels was on the field, and it colors how Washington moves forward. The offense sputtered most of the day in Seattle, so coaches chased a few positive snaps to bring into the film room.
Former wideout Greg Jennings backed that approach, noting that competitive instincts drive coaches and players in the moment—even if hindsight stings when an injury hits.
Quinn’s accountability landed where it should, and now the task shifts to stabilizing the operation without the rookie for as long as he’s out. The roster calculus gets real from here.
At 3-6 with a key injury at quarterback, a deadline reset made sense on paper: shop veterans and surplus pieces, get younger, and stockpile 2026 assets.
League chatter has tied Washington to potential moves involving linemen Andrew Wylie and Nick Allegretti, plus veteran names who could aid contenders in short bursts, like Bobby Wagner or Von Miller.
Even a Deebo Samuel flip was floated as a long shot, though moving your best playmaker invites a different kind of pain.
Bottom line: if Daniels is sidelined multiple weeks, Washington’s best play might be future-proofing the depth chart while asking the defense and run game to shorten contests and keep things respectable.
https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-the-spooky-similarities-between-daniels-griffin-iii