The Washington Commanders lost quarterback Jayden Daniels to an elbow injury against the Dallas Cowboys and a subsequent storyline that developed on social media through incomplete information added insult to injury inside the locker room.
Some of Daniels’ teammates made their way to the locker room at the halftime break while team doctors attended to their quarterback on the field, which cameras broadcasting the game picked up. Shortly after, random online actors began circulating the video and accusing those players of abandoning the QB after his injury.
However, several of Daniels’ teammates and head coach Dan Quinn spoke on Wednesday, September 23 about how and why that narrative is bogus.
“All that stuff is ridiculous,” Ben Sinnott said, per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. “As far as the love and brotherhood we have for Jayden, it’s really strong. We’ve seen how hard he worked to get to where he’s been.
It was a weird situation,” Washington’s tight end continued. “People were trying to figure out what’s going on, and they wanted to give the trainers space to do it. You don’t want to crowd the guy.”
Offensive lineman Brandon Coleman was also disgusted by the notion.
“It’s [expletive] what people are saying,” Coleman said, according to a report from John Keim of ESPN. “Jay’s our guy and he’s been our guy. There’s no malice behind it.”
Dan Quinn Said ‘Opposite’ Was True of Commanders Players, Jayden Daniels
Quinn explained that what actually occurred was the opposite of what the FOX Sports clip circulating online made it appear.
The head coach explained that the officials calling the game told the Washington players that they could not hold up the progression of the game into halftime and not to remain on the field, even though some players told the referees they wanted stay out on the gridiron until the training staff sorted out Daniels’ injury.
“So it’s just the opposite of that,” Quinn explained. “They were gutted. They love this guy. So halftime was hard and emotional in that space.”
No Word Yet on Timeline of Jayden Daniels’ Return to Commanders
Keim updated Daniels’ status with the latest news from Wednesday, though it remained short of anything definitive — other than to say that the quarterback is not going to be in the huddle with his teammates for their home-opener against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
“Dan Quinn said there’s no update on Jayden Daniels because he’s seeing another specialist today. Clearly he won’t play Sunday,” Keim reported on X. “[Safety] Nick Cross also has been ruled out Sunday because of an internal injury. LB Frankie Luvu, TE Chig Okonkwo and DL Javon Kinlaw will be wait-and-see. RG Sam Cosmi is in the concussion protocol.”
Daniels could be back by sometime in early October in a best-case scenario, though likely wearing a brace on his left elbow for the remainder of the season. A worst-case scenario might see the QB and franchise opt for surgery to guard against further re-injury, which could extend Daniels’ time on the sidelines.
Commanders Refute ‘Ridiculous’ Jayden Daniels Injury Story