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Jayden Daniels will play with the whole starting offense for the first time this season
Injuries have been a major factor this year, especially with key players, and they’re finally getting the starting offense on the field for the first time this season.
“It’s really important for him, for his teammates, for, you know, for any of the guys, honestly,” Quinn added. “You know, looking into it, with five games, that’s like 30% of our season. There’s a lot, and all of these matter. And you know, as he’s developing, there are certain things he’s working on to go ahead and be
as competitive as hell. And you know, like taking care of things that he can, and so it’s really important.”
Heavy.com
Noah Brown : Has Week 14 designation removed
After the Commanders activated Brown (groin/knee) from injured reserve Saturday, they removed his designation for Sunday’s game in Minnesota. Brown now is available for his first game action since Week 2 after recovering from dueling groin and knee injuries. He’ll be working with QB Jayden Daniels (left elbow), who will be back for the first time since Week 9, but the presence of fellow WRs Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel will make targets tougher to come by for Brown. In 13 regular-season appearances with Washington over the last two campaigns, Brown gathered in 38 of 63 targets for 489 yards and one touchdown.
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders released Chris Moore to make room for Noah Brown
Brown’s been dealing with knee and ankle injuries stemming back to Washington’s mandatory minicamp. It’s been a long road back to health for the former Ohio State standout, and he’s eager to make up for some lost time. That meant someone had to be sacrificed, and the Commanders opted to release Chris Moore.
Fans shouldn’t be entirely surprised by this development. Moore’s influence has steadily waned after his 59-yard receiving effort against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 7. He’s gained just five targets in the last five weeks, all of which came during Washington’s international game with the Miami Dolphins. His snap percentage plummeted in Week 13, and with Treylon Burks continuing to show promise, the Cincinnati product’s fate seemed inevitable once Brown got the all-clear to resume football activities.
Burks offers more long-term upside, and his sensational touchdown catch on Sunday Night Football was just a glimpse of what he could potentially bring to the franchise long-term. That’s not the case with Moore, who struggled to find the consistency needed when his number was called more often than not.
There’s a chance Moore comes back onto the practice squad as insurance in case additional injury problems arise. But with McLaurin, Brown, Burks, Deebo Samuel Sr., and fourth-round rookie Jaylin Lane, the Commanders have five capable pass-catchers for Daniels to call upon moving forward.
Commanders Wire
Commanders vs. Vikings in NFL Week 14 is suddenly more interesting
This road game against the Vikings features two teams going nowhere in 2025. Minnesota is 4-8, and Washington is 3-9. NFL fans and NFL media were no doubt nodding off just thinking about this game until there was some changing news for both teams.
The Vikings say QB J.J. McCarthy will return, and the Commanders‘ head coach, Dan Quinn, announced at his Friday press conference just after noon that Jayden Daniels has been cleared to play. NFL fans will want to check in on Daniels to see how he has recovered following the gruesome left elbow dislocation seen on Sunday Night Football vs. Seattle five weeks ago.
Daniels and McCarthy were taken in the same draft (2024), both in the first round. Daniels, selected second overall by Washington, enjoyed a great rookie season. McCarthy was taken 10th overall by the Vikings; however, he suffered a knee injury (torn meniscus) in the 2024 preseason, keeping him sidelined all of 2024.
Most recently, both Daniels and McCarthy have had their struggles in 2025. McCarthy has played in only six games this season, and the Vikings have won only two of those starts. The former Michigan Wolverine suffered a high ankle sprain, missing five games. Then he missed all of last week due to a concussion.
Daniels has been injured in three games this season, suffering a knee injury in Week 2 vs. the Packers, a hamstring injury in Dallas in Week 7, and a horrible-to-see dislocated elbow at home against the Seahawks in Week 9. Thus, backup Marcus Mariota has actually played more than Daniels in 2025 through Week 13. Daniels is also only 2-4 in the games he has started.
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores likes to blitz a lot, so Daniels might see some really fast-paced defense in his return to action.
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Eagles need to stop acting like school kids
The Eagles are trying to shake off that ugly Black Friday loss to the Bears. I’m told this week, the team had a series of “no-BS discussions” ahead of a “Monday Night Football” meeting with the Los Angeles Chargers.
The message? Stop pointing fingers.
“We are all done with the finger-pointing,” one Philly player told me. “It’s not just one thing that’s in our way. It’s not just Jalen (Hurts), it’s not just Saquon (Barkley), it’s not just (OC Kevin) Patullo, it’s not just the offensive line. … It’s a little bit of everyone.”
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Sources: Steelers must decide on Mike Tomlin option by March
The Pittsburgh Steelers are not going to fire coach Mike Tomlin, but they have a significant decision to make early next year.
After this season, Tomlin’s contract will have two years remaining — 2026 and a team option in 2027. But according to league sources, the Steelers must decide whether to pick up the option on Tomlin’s contract by March 1.
If the Steelers decline to pick up Tomlin’s option, they would allow their head coach to enter the final year of his contract next season, which teams typically prefer not to do.
And if neither side has any commitment to the other beyond 2026, it would bring into play several options.
There are and have been arguments on both sides. Tomlin’s critics point to the fact that the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016. But Tomlin also has been an effective enough coach that he has never had a losing season during his 18 seasons in Pittsburgh. With the Steelers at 6-6, this has a chance to be the 19th straight season in that streak.
Former Broncos owner Pat Bowlen used to extend Reeves’ contract before he entered the final season. The one time he didn’t do it was entering the 1992 season, which was Reeves’ last in Denver. The two sides parted ways after that season.
Pro Football Talk
After hot start, Colts could miss the playoffs altogether
The Colts ripped through the first eight games of the season, winning seven times. A 1-3 slide since then has raised a troubling question.
Could they miss the playoffs?
Indeed they could. Now 8-4 and tied with the Jaguars atop the AFC South, the Colts could easily lose both the division title and one of the three-wild card spots.
And the stretch run is a gauntlet. After Sunday’s visit to Jacksonville, where Indy hasn’t won since 2014, the Colts finish with the Seahawks, 49ers, Jaguars, and Texans.
Via NBC Sports research, the Colts could be the sixth team since the AFL-NFL merger to start 7-1 or better and miss the playoffs. The others were the 2012 Bears, Washington in 1996, the 1988 Saints, the 1987 Chargers, and the 1975 Dolphins.
One issue has been the performance of quarterback Daniel Jones away from Indianapolis. At home, he’s 5-1 with 15 total touchdowns and one turnover. One the road, the Colts are 3-3 — and Jones has nine total touchdowns and nine turnovers.
Then there’s the fracture in Jones’s leg. It made him one-dimensional against the Texans in Indianapolis last week.
