Expectations were extremely high for Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in 2025. After winning Rookie of the Year last season and receiving MVP votes in the popular vote, Daniels was expected to lead Washington back to the playoffs and potentially qualify for the Super Bowl.
This did not happen. Daniels was battling a series of injuries and commanders were frustrated. With the team 4–10 after Week 15 and Daniels dealing with elbow issues, the Commanders decided to sit the sophomore quarterback out for the rest of the year.
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Daniels spoke about the decision — and his season — on Tuesday, saying he “very upset“by the way things fell apart, according to ESPN.
While Daniels will remain on the team's active roster, he won't start the rest of the way. Instead, the team will finish the year with veteran Marcus Mariota under center. Daniels said his progress is improving, but he hasn't cleared enough milestones to be cleared to play in Week 16.
“I don’t want to miss games at all,” Daniels said. “It’s been a disappointing year, a disappointing year. You learn from it and move forward.”
The 24-year-old added that he is focused on his long-term status, saying: “Longevity is a big thing, so you have to be smart about it.”
Commanders have a number of reasons for making this decision. With a score of 4-10, the team's season is effectively over. Risking a more serious injury to Daniels that could jeopardize his 2026 win seems foolish at this point.
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If Daniels stays healthy, he could easily lead the team back to contention next season. The former LSU star looked like a future prospect as a freshman, throwing 25 touchdowns against nine interceptions last season. A year later, he looked like the top cornerback in the 2025 NFL Draft.
But after Daniels' injury-plagued 2025 season, that's no longer a certainty. New England Patriots cornerback Drake May is an MVP candidate this time around, and Chicago Bears cornerback Caleb Williams has made significant improvements to Ben Johnson's system. Meanwhile, Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos have already clinched a playoff spot.
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Daniels isn't really competing with these players, but with his own health. The Chiefs were probably wise to sign their franchise player after a losing season. Now Daniels will have to prove he can stay healthy enough to become the superstar Commanders fans thought he would be after a great rookie year.
