Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has accepted he shares some of the blame for a serious injury to the team’s quarterback, Jayden Daniels.
Daniels, who had one of the greatest rookie campaigns of all time last season, suffered a dislocated left elbow in Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Although Daniels throws with his right arm, the injury has left his season in doubt. The injury was serious enough that the television broadcast did not show replays and several players turned away as Daniels was treated my medical staff.
Quinn came under criticism as many believed Daniels should not have been on the field in the first place. The injury occurred in the fourth quarter with the Commanders trailing 38-7, making a comeback unlikely. It is common in such situations for teams to put in their backup quarterback to avoid injuries to their starter.
“I get that. I’ve been thinking about it nonstop, too, and, man, I missed it,” Quinn said of his decision to leave Daniels in the game. “That is 100% on me.”
Marcus Mariota will be the Commanders’ starting quarterback going forward, but he will lead a team in disarray. After reaching the NFC championship game last season behind Daniels’s brilliance, the team have struggled this season. They also lost cornerback Marshon Lattimore (torn ACL) and wide receiver Luke McCaffrey (broken collarbone) on Sunday, and have a host of other starters on injured reserve. The Commanders are 3-6 on the season, and it would take a huge turnaround for the team to reach the playoffs.
