Commanders Players Deny Abandoning Injured Jayden Daniels

Players on the Washington Commanders have vehemently denied accusations that they abandoned quarterback Jayden Daniels after he suffered an elbow dislocation during Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys. Viral clips circulating on social media appeared to show several teammates walking off the field towards the locker room, leaving Daniels with trainers.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn addressed the accusations Wednesday, stating that the referee instructed players to leave the field to avoid delaying halftime. Quinn noted that Daniels' teammates were "absolutely gutted" by the injury.

"It's bulls--- what people are saying," said left tackle Brandon Coleman. "Jay's our guy and he's been our guy. There's no malice behind it. We stayed on the field and once they got it situated and did what they had to do we checked on him. Dan told most [players] to go into the locker room. But it's tough to go in when you see something like that."

Coleman added that the entire starting offensive line, several receivers, and some defensive players remained on the field. A separate clip from NBC Washington's JP Finlay shows players gathered around Daniels as Quinn directed them to head to the locker room.

Another Commanders player, tight end Ben Sinnott, also refuted the claims, stating, "All that stuff is ridiculous. As far as the love and brotherhood we have for Jayden, it's really strong. We've seen how hard he worked to get to where he's been."

Sinnott explained that in the moment of the injury, players were trying to understand the situation and ensure the trainers had space to attend to Daniels. "You don't want to crowd the guy. Obviously guys are taking a step back and giving him space, praying, and we all came back. All that stuff is nonsense."

This is the second consecutive year Daniels, 25, has dislocated his left elbow. The team has not provided a specific timeline for his return, but he is expected to be back on the field this season. The injury has hampered Daniels' career following a promising Rookie of the Year campaign in 2024, where he led the Commanders to the NFC Championship game. In that season, he recorded 3,568 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and nine interceptions, along with 891 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.

Last season, Daniels was limited to seven games due to a knee sprain and his first elbow injury, throwing for 1,262 yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions. Through six quarters this season, he has accumulated 260 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Marcus Mariota is slated to start for the Commanders (0-2) on Sunday when they host the Seattle Seahawks (2-0).