Jayden Daniels Calls Injuries 'Freak Accidents' After Being Shut Down by Commanders

Jayden Daniels, unfortunately, had his second NFL season derailed by injuries, and now the Washington Commanders have shut down the quarterback for the rest of the year.

Reflecting on his season, Daniels called his knee and elbow injuries "freak accidents."

"My knee and my elbow, those aren't things you can really prepare for," he told reporters. "They're freak accidents, so it was most definitely frustrating and at the time, I'd say, traumatic and stuff like that because you never know. ... I just gotta move forward and get ready for next year."

Daniels also said that it's "disappointing" not being able to play the final games for Washington, but was ultimately out of control. Regarding his health, Daniels said he's "getting better" but didn't "meet the market to be cleared."

"It's obviously disappointing," Daniels said. "You know, I'm a competitor. I want to play. But I wasn't medically cleared to go and I sat down and talked to [head coach Dan Quinn] and [GM Adam Peters] and made the decision."

Daniels played the first two games of the season before missing a pair of games due to a knee injury. He then suffered a hamstring injury and was forced to miss the Commanders' Week 8 contest against the Kansas City Chiefs.

He returned in Week 9, but dislocated his left elbow against the Seattle Seahawks, sidelining him for another three games. He played against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14, but reaggravated his elbow injury, which ultimately led to Washington shutting him down for the rest of the year.

Daniels played just seven contests this year, throwing for 1,262 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions and adding 278 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

"I don't want to miss games at all. I've been frustrated this whole season missing games," Daniels told reporters on Tuesday. "I want to be out there to help my teammates as much possible. It's been a frustrating year, a disappointing year."

Daniels showed just how good he can be last season when he won Rookie of the Year and led the Commanders to the NFC Championship game. Unfortunately, injuries stopped him from being the best version of himself in 2025, but he'll look to get back on track in Year 3.