There’s still a flicker of hope that Jayden Daniels could be back under center for the Commanders in Week 14 when they face the Vikings - but it’s far from a sure thing. Head coach Dan Quinn made it clear on Monday that Daniels hasn’t been cleared for contact just yet, and the team may ride this decision all the way into Friday before making the final call.
And when Quinn says “contact,” he’s not talking about the bone-rattling kind a linebacker takes. For a quarterback, it's more about functional movement - the kind of physicality that comes with scrambling, diving, stiff-arming, and absorbing incidental contact while staying in rhythm. That’s the next hurdle for Daniels.
“He did some of that today, and he’ll do more during the week,” Quinn said. “He ripped a bunch of throws today and threw it hard. But the functional movement, that’s what we’re evaluating.”
That evaluation is going to be key. Daniels is working through individual drills and side work to test that elbow - the same one he dislocated back in Week 9 against the Seahawks. Since then, he’s been sidelined, and while he was listed as a limited participant in all three practices last week, he hasn’t yet crossed the threshold into full-contact readiness.
So the Commanders are in wait-and-see mode.
In the meantime, Marcus Mariota has been holding down the fort. He’s started the last three games and has six starts total this season.
Statistically, he’s been solid - completing 63.2% of his passes for 1,359 yards, nine touchdowns, and six interceptions. He’s a veteran presence who knows how to manage a game, but he doesn’t bring the same dynamic upside that Daniels flashed earlier in the year.
Before the injury, Daniels had completed 62.5% of his passes for 1,184 yards with eight touchdowns and just two interceptions in six starts. He was showing signs of settling into the role, giving the Commanders a dual-threat dimension that kept defenses honest.
Now, the question is whether that elbow is ready to let him be himself again. Washington doesn’t just need a quarterback who can stand in the pocket - they need the full version of Daniels, the one who can extend plays, take off when necessary, and make defenses pay for overcommitting.
The Commanders have a decision to make, and it’s not just about Week 14. It’s about making sure Daniels is fully functional before throwing him back into the fire. Until then, all eyes will stay on the practice field - and on Friday’s injury report.