Why Dan Campbell is backing Commanders' Dan Quinn's call on Jayden Daniels

The Washington Commanders were hopeful to get back in the win column against the Seattle Seahawks, but the result didn't quite meet the pregame goals.

Not only did the Commanders lose, but it marked a four-game losing streak in the process and even more injuries that impact how the rest of the season will play out.

Veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore is now lost for the season with an ACL tear, wide receiver Luke McCaffrey will also miss the remainder of the 2025 season with a broken collarbone, and perhaps the most devastating is losing Jayden Daniels to a dislocated elbow that will likely end his season, depending on how his rehab process goes.

Washington head coach Dan Quinn has caught flak for leaving Daniels in the game when it appeared well out of reach, and he has since made a statement accepting responsibility for the decision. While hindsight is 20/20, the job of the head coach is to make tough decisions, which Quinn did, and his fellow coaches are backing him up.

Detroit Lions HC Dan Campbell empathetic towards DQ

When asked about having empathy for Dan Quinn and his decision to leave Daniels in the game, Campbell said, "Yeah, you can't second-guess that. Look, that's me. You can't. He just go back, I'm sure [they're] trying to get him in a rhythm, a flow. So I just, I think it's hard to second-guess that. I know hindsight and all this and that, but yeah, I do feel for him. But I don't feel like he should have to feel that way. Trying to get your guy going, back in a rhythm. It's unfortunate. I hate that for JD, man. That's tough. But it's not his fault."

Interesting response from Lions coach Dan Campbell today, when asked about having empathy for Dan Quinn. (Quinn, of course, said he regretted leaving Jayden Daniels on the field late in Sunday's blowout.) pic.twitter.com/bFU6pM17UA
— Tom Schad (@Tom_Schad) November 5, 2025

Quinn and Campbell don't have any direct ties, but the coaching circle is tight, and the two have been known in the past to show an extreme respect for one another, likely due to how both run their respective franchises with an emphasis on culture.

It is hard to argue with the sentiments shared by Campbell ahead of his Lions' taking on Quinn's Commanders this weekend. It's a hard decision, and with Daniels making his return from a prior injury, it made sense to leave him in the game to knock some of the rust off.

The situation seems eerily similar to when Chris Godwin went down with a dislocated ankle with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season, when Todd Bowles caught a ton of pressure for having him in the game when it was likely out of reach.

Ultimately, this is the game of football. You play to win the game, even when most might think there is no chance to pull out a win. Injuries happen; they are unavoidable, and it's at no fault of either the player or the coach.

The Commanders and Quinn will now move forward with veteran Marcus Mariota behind center, with their focus now shifted to Campbell and the Lions, who are one of the NFL's elite contenders in 2025.

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