Commanders coordinator admits difficulty evaluating Jayden Daniels

ASHBURN, Va. – Jayden Daniels wasn’t going to be medically cleared to play this weekend for the Washington Commanders anyway, so at least until Christmas Day against the Dallas Cowboys, there isn’t much that will have changed since it was announced he wouldn’t take another game rep this season.

However, because the decision has been made to sit him for the rest of the Commanders’ 2025 campaign with three games left, a lot has actually changed.

For one, the ability to accurately assess his sophomore season in the NFL is solidified as a complicated mixture of sporadic play, highlighted by a lack of availability that Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury admits makes it hard to really evaluate him at this point.

Oct 27, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury looks on during the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Kingsbury struggles with assessment

“I think with how it went, it's just hard to get an assessment,” Kingsbury said this week. “But he did all the things you can ask him as preparation and practice habits, things of that nature…just was one of those years with inconsistency as far as availability, unfortunately.”

Availability, as the cliche goes, is the most important ability, and after an NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year season in 2024 where Daniels didn’t miss a single start, the road traveled in year two hit a pothole in Week 2 when he suffered his first injury of the year, and never really got onto a smooth surface at any point after that.

The only asterisk to that is the game against the Los Angeles Chargers, when Daniels and the Commanders last looked like they could get the season back under control.

Injuries halt development

Three more injuries later, including an aggravation of the dislocated left elbow he suffered and then re-injured weeks later, Daniels’ season is done. So too, because of it, is the acceleration of his professional development.

“There's no way you can simulate being out there and playing football,” Kingsbury says. “Anytime you get those, you'd like to have 'em, but understand the situation. It just wasn't possible this year for him.”

Daniels will continue to practice, head coach Dan Quinn confirmed earlier in the week, and through that and his involvement in week-to-week preparation, he’ll continue to look for opportunities to get better even without live reps. He’ll also work on getting healthy. What everyone wants is for his future to be healthier overall, something that is only in his or the staff’s control to a certain level.

Randomness of injuries

“I think you look around the league and every year–we just had [Kansas City Chiefs quarterback] Pat [Mahomes]–I've never seen him miss a game for however long I've known the kid and he's hurt his knee, so it happens in this league and I don't think there's anything you can do to prepare for it.

“He works really hard taking care of his body, and the weight room and things of that nature, and so just continue on that, and he'll get a fresh start next year.”

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