Will Jayden Daniels play in Bengals vs. Commanders?

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is getting his team ready for the season, which includes an exhibition matchup at home against the Cincinnati Bengals.

While Daniels sat on the sidelines against the New England Patriots last week, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn shared that the plan is for the second-year quarterback to play a little bit against the Bengals.

Quinn said he would like to see Jayden and the starters for “a few series” against the Bengals. Added that it won’t be for very long
— Zach Selby (@ZachSelbyWC) August 16, 2025

Daniels to debut vs. Bengals

The goal for the Commanders is to get the first-stringers some looks before the start of the season, which is creeping up on the team. There are only three weeks left until the season opener against the New York Giants.

However, the Commanders won't have some of Daniels' top players on offense alongside him on the field. Linebacker Bobby Wagner, tight end Zach Ertz, linebacker Von Miller, offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, wide receiver Terry McLaurin, offensive lineman Sam Cosmi and backup quarterback Marcus Mariota will not play for the team against the Bengals.

With those players sitting out, Daniels won't get the full experience of having his top offense on the field. However, he will get his first in-game reps since the NFC Championship back in January against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The opportunity for Daniels and the Commanders to face off against the Bengals should be one they take seriously because they might not get time like this before the start of the season.

It remains to be seen how much the starters will play in the preseason finale next weekend against the Baltimore Ravens, especially with just five days in between games. Therefore, this game against the Bengals could be considered the team's dress rehearsal going into the regular season.

Kickoff between the Bengals and Commanders is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET inside the friendly confines of Northwest Stadium. Fans can watch the game on ESPN or stream it on the ESPN+ app.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 season.

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