Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn brought energy and focus to his Wednesday press conference as he addressed roster changes, injuries, and Week 3 preparations against the Las Vegas Raiders. Quinn opened with the announcement that cornerback Jonathan Jones will go to injured reserve with a hamstring injury, though he expects Jones to return later this season. The Commanders also signed veteran defensive end Preston Smith, a familiar face to Washington fans.
“Jon Jones to I.R., he’ll miss some time with his hamstring injury,” Quinn said. “The good news is he will return, but that’s tough for now. But we will get him back. Another familiar face to some that we signed, Preston Smith, who was here from 2015-18, and we’ve been visiting about him for a while, so we’re really pumped to have him here with us.”
Quinn emphasized Smith’s ability to contribute immediately, citing his proven pass rush skills and leadership. “We’ve actually discussed Preston for a while,” Quinn said. “Edge, he’s strong, proven pass rush ability. We like his size too… you can tell he really worked hard to get himself in shape to be ready for the op when it came.”
Jayden Daniels’ Recovery and Mariota’s Readiness
The biggest question for Washington is the health of quarterback Jayden Daniels. Quinn confirmed that Daniels participated in rehab and throwing drills but did not practice Wednesday. “Jayden had a good rehab session today. He also threw out on the field. He won’t practice today,” Quinn said. “As we get into Friday, I’ll give you an assessment of where we’re at after we go through practice.”
Quinn noted that Daniels’ competitive nature makes holding him back difficult but necessary. “That’s him as a competitor, but we also recognize the importance of the person, the player, what he means to the franchise. So, we’re going to be smart, not just fast in this assessment.”
When asked about backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, Quinn expressed full confidence in the veteran. “If called upon, we would certainly expect Marcus to deliver and the fashion that he does,” Quinn said. “He has been like a real standard as a Commander, player, teammate in elite ways… we have the utmost confidence in him.”
Preparing For Crosby, Carroll’s Influence, and Keys To Victory
Quinn praised Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby as one of the league’s elite competitors. “He’s an absolute savage of a player. I love watching him, the energy, the effort, the skill of it,” Quinn said. “His stamina to go hard over and over again… sometimes you don’t win on the first move and you have to stay relentless and that has absolutely been part of his career.”
Quinn also reflected on lessons learned from Raiders coach Pete Carroll. “Confidence, belief… that’s such an important thing you need as a head coach,” Quinn said. “Two of the very best I’ve been around in instilling a philosophy was Pete and Nick Saban.”
Quinn stressed the importance of competition in practice, saying, “At practice today, we’ll have some just good on good… we’ll do some competitions on Wednesday, just not scripted.” He also emphasized capitalizing on takeaways: “Takeaways are not something you’re just going to be given. We have to be mindful and improve in that spot.”
The Commanders coach knows adversity is part of the journey but believes his team will respond. “It’s going to happen, the injury is part of it, the loss is part of it, but you also learn to stand and fight and that’s a good skill to know and we got a lot of guys that are down for that,” Quinn said.
Quinn’s presser reflected a coach balancing immediate challenges with long-term goals. From Daniels’ recovery to preparing for a dangerous Raiders defense, Washington’s focus is clear: compete, adjust, and deliver. Fans can expect a team eager to bounce back and prove its toughness in Week 3.
Quinn Talks Injuries, Roster Moves, and Raiders Prep