Washington Commanders leader Coach Quinn has admitted he bears a portion of the fault for a major injury to the squad’s signal-caller, Jayden Daniels.
Particulars of the Injury and Context
Daniels, who enjoyed one of the greatest rookie campaigns of all time the previous year, suffered a displaced elbow joint in Sunday’s defeat to the Seattle Seahawks. Although the quarterback throws with his dominant arm, the issue has left his season in doubt. The injury was significant enough that the TV coverage avoided showing repeats and several players turned away as Daniels was treated by medical staff.
Backlash and Coach’s Response
Coach Quinn came under scrutiny as many felt Daniels ought not to have been on the playing surface to begin with. The injury occurred in the final period with the Washington trailing 38-7, rendering a recovery improbable. It is typical in such circumstances for teams to insert their reserve QB to prevent injuries to their first-string player.
“I understand. I’ve been reflecting about it nonstop, too, and, man, I erred,” he said of his decision to keep Daniels in the game. “That is 100% my fault.”
Aftermath and Squad Outlook
Mariota will be the Commanders’ starting quarterback from now on, but he will lead a team in turmoil. After making the conference title game last season behind Daniels’s excellence, the franchise have struggled this season. They also saw injuries to cornerback Marshon Lattimore (ACL tear) and wide receiver Luke McCaffrey (broken collarbone) on Sunday, and have a host of other starters on the injury list. The Commanders are 3-6 so far, and it would require a huge reversal for the team to reach the playoffs.
