Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has admitted he bears a portion of the fault for a major injury to the team’s signal-caller, Jayden Daniels.
Details of the Harm and Situation
Jayden Daniels, who enjoyed one of the greatest rookie campaigns of all time last season, suffered a displaced elbow joint in Sunday’s defeat to the Seahawks. Although Daniels passes with his right arm, the injury has placed his season in doubt. The injury was significant enough that the TV coverage avoided showing repeats and several players looked away as he was treated by team doctors.
Backlash and Leader’s Response
Quinn came under scrutiny as many felt Daniels ought not to have been on the field to begin with. The injury happened in the final period with the Washington trailing 38-7, rendering a comeback unlikely. It is typical in such situations for clubs to insert their reserve QB to avoid harm to their starter.
“I understand. I’ve been reflecting about it constantly, too, and, man, I missed it,” Quinn said of his choice to leave Daniels in the game. “That is 100% on me.”
Aftermath and Team Outlook
Mariota will be the Commanders’ starting quarterback from now on, but he will lead a team in disarray. Following reaching the conference title game the prior year thanks to the rookie’s excellence, the franchise have struggled this season. They also saw injuries to defensive back Marshon Lattimore (torn ACL) and wide receiver McCaffrey (broken collarbone) on game day, and have a host of other key players on the injury list. The Commanders are 3-6 so far, and it would take a huge reversal for the club to make the postseason.
