Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has already had a lot to deal with this season.
Daniels, the third-year quarterback, returned after missing 10 games in 2025. In that first game, the outcome came down to a failed last-minute two-point conversion attempt. The next week, he was stepped on after the snap and dislocated the same left elbow again while trying to break his fall.
Missing two games (Seattle, Indianapolis), Daniels returned last week and had to wear a more restrictive brace that prevents his left arm from fully extending. Daniels responded by passing for 199 yards with no interceptions and running for 103 yards in only nine carries, including touchdown runs of 38 and 26 yards.
38-yard TD run! Jayden Daniels is so back@NYGvsWAS
on FOX/FOX One Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/un8ws01KAe
— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026
But then came the mental shutdown on the game’s final snap: Daniels, knowing there were no timeouts, ran instead of throwing the ball out of bounds, which would have let the Commanders’ Drew Stevens attempt a 42-yard field goal to win the game. As a result, the game ended in a mind-boggling, irritating 27-27 tie.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, of course, is well aware of the drama and disappointment Daniels has already brought in the first five weeks of the season. Yet he is encouraged and told the press Saturday what he has been observing in Daniels.
“There’s a maturity about him that definitely comes through; that’s number one,” stated Quinn. “His relentless nature to prepare and dig in is always evident. But I also know he’s got a lot of fight in him. And sometimes those get demonstrated in the hardest moments as well. Whether that’s coming back from an injury or a difficult moment, all of that.”
In these first five weeks, Daniels has already experienced more than enough injury and drama. But Quinn is confident Daniels understands there are two sides to being an NFL quarterback, and both get magnified for a quarterback.
“He knows it goes with the position. But I’d also say there’s been a lot of growth this whole season of 2026, coming back from an injury, a new offense, leading. There is an elevated presence about him. It’s very easy to see, and I noticed it.”
The Commanders know they should have won last week, blowing a 14-point fourth-quarter lead and not getting to kick the game-winner in overtime; that was more than makeable. They are now 1-3-1 and have the daunting task of playing the undefeated 49ers (5-0) on Monday Night Football.
They will need a great game from Daniels to have a chance to win. Even more, the team around him will need to run the ball and play better defense if Daniels is to have the chance to work his skills at the highest level.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' Dan Quinn praises Jayden Daniels' growth in 2026
