When is a season lost, and how does it impact the decisions to sit or play star players? These are questions facing the Washington Commanders after losing six straight and eight total games in the first 11 weeks of the 2025 NFL season.
For some, the answer is simple. After suffering three injuries that have cost Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels multiple games already this year, there is no reason to bring him back before the 2026 season, preventing the potential that he may be injured even worse than any of the previous three wounds suffered already.
For others, including many former Washington players who are closely covering the team today, the question isn’t really whether or when Daniels is available and healthy; he should play again this year.
Of course, none of the outside opinions really matters. What matters is what general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn think, on top of Daniels himself, and thanks to a new report from ESPN, we might know what that decision will be.
“The Commanders have a bye this week and will examine everything,” says ESPN’s Dan Graziano in a report filed this week. “They've lost six games in a row to drop to 3-8 in what looked like a promising season, and there has been external debate about whether it makes sense to bring back Daniels at all this season. From what I've been told, the plan in Washington is still that Daniels will return to the starting lineup once doctors clear him from his elbow injury.”
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5)
Nov 2, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) runs the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images / Amber Searls-Imagn Images
“Washington's situation with Daniels is more complicated from my view,” Jeremy Fowler added. “Sources have maintained that while Daniels could return as quickly as three weeks from the occurrence of the injury (so, Week 13 vs. Denver), the team has loosely braced for an absence of five to six weeks just in case. That tells me that shutting him down remains a possibility, based on his durability this season (three separate injuries) and the team's current standing. Big-picture talks about how to proceed will play out over the coming days and provide clarity one way or the other.”
Quinn has confessed multiple times over that this season hasn’t gone the way he thought it would or even expected it to, and he’s been surprised by what has transpired.
After going to the NFC Championship Game in 2024, nobody predicted the team would fall short of a playoff appearance, even with a tougher schedule than the year prior.
However, injuries have only served to compound inconsistencies in all three phases (offense, defense, special teams), and have the team in a position where if it doesn’t win every game left on its schedule, Washington will finish with a losing record for the fifth time in eight years, but the first under Quinn and Peters.
This has, as it usually does, led to conversations about whether or not the team should fold in hopes of securing a better draft pick next offseason or continue to compete.
It would appear from these reports that competition is going to win out, which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has heard the coaching staff and front office talk about what the Commanders want to be moving forward.
READ MORE: What's next for Commanders as bye week approaches?
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