Less than a day after rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow in the fourth quarter of the Washington Commanders’ lopsided 38–14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, head coach Dan Quinn openly accepted full responsibility for leaving his star player in the game.
Facing reporters at his Monday news conference, Dan Quinn began with a tone of deep accountability.
“I know many of you have been asking about the thought process of Jayden being in the game, in that situation and I get that,” Dan Quinn said. “I’ve been thinking about it, honestly, nonstop too. And for me, the answer is, man, I missed it.”
The Commanders, trailing 38–7 with just over 12 minutes remaining, had regained possession when Daniels suffered the injury. Dan Quinn revealed that the coaching staff had planned for that offensive series to be the final drive for several key starters including Daniels, tight end Zach Ertz, wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr., and left tackle Laremy Tunsil before substituting in reserves.
“We weren’t going to have any read-run plays, meaning no carries for the quarterback on a run,” Dan Quinn explained. “And honestly, man, that’s where I missed it. Of course, Jayden can scramble. He’s Jayden. It’s what he’s special at and that is 100 percent on me.”
Daniels was injured while scrambling on a broken play and was later ruled out for the remainder of the game. Dan Quinn confirmed afterward that Daniels dislocated his left elbow, adding that the team has not yet established a recovery timeline as medical evaluations continue.
The injury compounds a season already riddled with health setbacks for the rookie. Daniels had missed Washington’s previous game against the Kansas City Chiefs due to a hamstring strain and had also sat out Weeks 3 and 4 with a knee issue.
Dan Quinn also announced several other devastating injuries for the Commanders. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, while wide receiver Luke McCaffrey sustained a broken collarbone that will sideline him indefinitely.
The Commanders, who have now dropped to 3–6, face a critical stretch of the season without several key contributors. Despite the mounting adversity, Quinn emphasized that the responsibility for Sunday’s decisions and their consequences lies squarely with him.
“Our players fight hard every snap,” Dan Quinn said. “It’s my job to protect them and make sure we’re putting them in the best situation. I didn’t do that yesterday and that’s on me.”
The Commanders will next host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Nov. 9, as they look to regroup after one of the most bruising weekends of their season.