Washington proved last year it could survive a setback when Marcus Mariota stepped in for an injured Jayden Daniels and kept the season on track. That depth no longer exists. With Mariota gone, the Commanders face the new year without the same proven fallback, raising the stakes on keeping Daniels upright.

Head coach Dan Quinn revealed earlier this month that their star backup is dealing with a lower leg injury. Sure, Mariota had the vote of confidence to cover Daniels in case of an injury, but the Commanders still have Josh Johnson and Sam Hartman in the quarterback room. So why hasn’t Quinn picked a name between them yet? Apparently, neither Johnson nor Hartman has proved themselves worthy of the backup position yet. 

When Quinn gave them a chance on the field, they ended up throwing interceptions. And not just once, consecutively for two weeks. Meanwhile, though Mariota’s injury was confirmed to be mild, which made HC’s concern level “low,” the timeline of his return is yet to be revealed. So, what did we learn so far? Washington has no backup at the moment! And might we remind you, the regular season is starting in less than a month. But why is the situation alarming at all? Jayden Daniels is healthy!

Here’s where things get interesting. The Commanders are coming off their second straight preseason loss. But that’s not the concerning part that got everyone talking. It’s about the moves the second-year QB pulled off against Joe Burrow’s Bengals. After two solid plays by Bengal that put Washington in striking distance, it was Daniels’ turn to take over. 

Daniels turned a broken pocket into points, cutting through the Bengals’ defense and lowering his shoulder at the goal line. Instead of sliding, he powered through safety Jordan Battle for a one-yard touchdown run.

The score drew cheers, but it also raised concern. Daniels’ willingness to absorb contact is a risk for a team already thin at quarterback. With Mariota sidelined, Washington’s depth chart hinges on rookies Sam Hartman and Austin Johnson, and the team hasn’t been linked to outside reinforcements. For now, the decision rests with Dan Quinn on how to balance Daniels’ playmaking instincts with his long-term durability.

What makes the situation tougher is that, despite knowing the dire condition of the quarterback room, Daniels isn’t backing down from making the risky moves. 

Jayden Daniels on big hit TD

“Not at all.” That’s the response of the Commanders’ star QB when asked whether he should have slid to avoid contact with those three Bengals defenders. As he can only see the bright spots of brilliance that his offensive team showed, even though they couldn’t pull off a victory. “I’m playing football. I’m out there… I had the opportunity to score,” he added. 

If you think from his POV, he isn’t entirely wrong. As he did scored the touchdown. Such moves from a starting quarterback may be rare to see, especially in the preseason; Daniels thinks differently. “I know everybody puts a big emphasis on preseason, but at the end of the day, it’s a game to me, whether preseason, regular season, or playoffs.”

As surprising as it may be for the fans and pundits to see, this wasn’t anything surprising for the team. Last season, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury made it very clear that the team has no plans to change Daniels’ playing technique, but instead focuses on honing it. Quinn, as well, stood by the 24-year-old: “It’s part of his game, and it is what makes him a special player.” And the fact that he led them to the NFC Championship game is proof that he knows what he’s doing.