Washington Commanders Decision on Jayden Daniels ‘About the Long Game’

When the NFL scheduled the Washington Commanders vs. Carolina Panthers as a 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff game earlier this offseason it was hoping quarterback Bryce Young would be looking better and that Jayden Daniels would have his legs under him.

Well, they got half of that equation, and while Daniels came into Week 7 among the best in the league at the quarterback conversation Young was on the sideline. After one series, the Commanders‘ rookie quarterback joined him there – just, obviously, on the other one.

When the NFL flexed this weekend’s matchup between Washington and the Chicago Bears it surely celebrated the idea of getting Daniels and Caleb Williams, this year’s No. 1 overall pick and top quarterback drafted, on the same field in the afternoon window. Alas, the league’s best-laid plans may be coming unravled once again.

We still don’t know for sure whether or not Daniels will play for the Commanders against the Bears in Week 8, but we do know for certain that the decision has nothing to do with this rookie beating another. Or even this team beating the other.

As the host of Green Light with Chris Long – Chris Long – discussed, the decision on playing Daniels is about much more than this weekend.

“I mean, the NFL is probably praying they throw Jayden Daniels out there. But guess what? The people in Washington, they can make their own decisions,” Long said about the situation. “I mean, this is about the long game, not this weekend beating the Bears.” 

And not only is this about the future of Washington football, to many it’s about this staff learning from the lessons of the past.

As much as this situation is not like the one a former franchise coach faced with Robert Griffin III, it also is, becuase it brings to the surface the idea that a coach may be willing to risk the longterm health of a supremely talented player in order to notch a win in a single game, or a single season even.

Having another critical health decision involving a young quarterback who clearly wants to compete for his team if given the chance brings those memories to the surface, whether the situations are alike or not.

Where they are alike, is that this quarterback has shown in his first seven weeks of NFL play that he could be a truly special player. One worth protecting.

This weekend’s matchup not escaping him though, Long also had nice things to say about the Bears’ rookie quarterback as well.

“I think the way he (Williams) throws with anticipation in the underneath zones is really encouraging for me if I’m a Bears fan,” Long said, but stopped short of stating that Chicago has the better quarterback. “I saw somebody this week say that Caleb’s got more arm talent than Jayden. I disagree because it’s a different kind of arm talent too. I think if Caleb is like man it’s a rifle rolling right – that’s a rifle kind of on the move, off the platform, underneath, the intermediate stuff. But so far, what we’ve seen with Jayden Daniels is the precision.” 

Perhaps Daniels will play, we know for sure Williams will. And maybe the NFL will get its wish of having picks No. 1 and 2 facing off in Week 8.

If not, however, Long believes it’ll be to protect the future. And if that future involves several higher stakes games involving Washington and Chicago, the NFL will appreciate that decision down the road.