Commanders QB Jayden Daniels speaks on potential injury return

The Washington Commanders' season hasn't brought a whole lot of joy to the DMV area, but they are hopeful that things can start to heal, including their players, as they head into the holiday season.

Speaking of healing, the Commanders have been one of the most injury-riddled teams of the 2025 NFL season. They have lost starter after starter and just a few weeks ago lost their franchise quarterback, Jayden Daniels, to a dislocated elbow.

The injury, fortunately, wasn't as severe as first feared when it occurred, and coming out of their bye week, Daniels has returned to practice. While he has returned, Daniels hasn't been cleared for contact and will miss the Commanders' upcoming Sunday Night Football matchup against the Denver Broncos. However, when speaking and handing out turkeys at the team's Harvest Feast, Daniels said if he is healthy, he wants to be out on the field.

Daniels doesn't want to be shut down for season

Nov 2, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

"If I'm back out there and I'm healthy and ready to go I want to be out there."

Jayden Daniels is asked about possibly returning this season despite injury risk:

"If I'm healthy and ready to go, I want to be out there."https://t.co/iQ5Gf5Wgsk pic.twitter.com/9kr3Y28jIk
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) November 25, 2025

There has been back and forth between fans and the media on whether bringing Daniels back during a season that is lost would be a good decision or not, but it appears that Daniels is not shy about making it known that if he is healthy, he wants to be out there on the gridiron.

The obvious concern with bringing Daniels back in 2025 and not sidelining him is reinjury. The risk has already been high as he dealt with multiple different injuries this season, and if he were to suffer some type of serious injury when there was nothing worth fighting for at the end of the year, the front office, coaching staff, and everyone involved would have to hear about how horrific a decision it was.

On the other side of things, getting Daniels back into a rhythm against competition and building some momentum heading into the offseason can't be dismissed either. The locker room seems to be lacking any sort of confidence in what is happening, so if Daniels were to be able to come back out and put together a couple of wins, we could see the culture that has been established under Dan Quinn reemerge as they head into some major offseason plans.

Either way, the Commanders' 2025 season will be one to forget. They will have plenty to do once again this offseason, but one thing is clear: Jayden Daniels is going to be the team's quarterback of the future, so you would think it would be wise to protect your biggest investment at all costs.

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