Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels had a tough 2025 season. Marred by multiple injuries that ultimately sidelined him for the season, Daniels is looking to rebound in 2026 and prove that he still belongs in talks with the most elite quarterbacks in the NFL. While Daniels has been practicing during training camp and is fully healthy at this stage, Dan Quinn and his coaching staff elected to keep Daniels off the field for the team’s first preseason game in 2026. As of right now, we don’t know if Daniels will play in the second preseason game either, something he was asked about on Tuesday.
For everyone screaming for "Jayden Daniels to play this preseason " here's your answer if you know how to read in between lines 🤣 pic.twitter.com/TzxHYOAzNS — Lord Commander 999 (@HailMaryland) August 18, 2026 A reporter asks Quinn if he would be comfortable if Daniels played zero preseason snaps, and Quinn’s answer might surprise you. “Yes, I’d be comfortable with him and other veterans that have played to go,” Quinn replied. “But we haven’t decided in terms of will we or won’t we. We had a joint last week; he got a lot of reps. He’ll get a lot today and tomorrow going against our defense, so I’ll have a better sense for where everybody is before we make any of those decisions. But he’s thrown an incredible training camp. His accuracy, his command of it. A new system you wouldn’t feel like that for him, but I’ve been certainly impressed by what I’ve seen so far with him.” This is Daniels’ third season in the NFL, and last season didn’t give him much experience. If Quinn doesn’t want to end up on the hot seat this season, he needs to get Daniels some game-time reps against a different team. Forget joint practices; he needs in-game situations to evaluate and ensure his decision-making. How did last season’s preseason plan work out for Washington? Preseason is the perfect time for that, even if he only plays one or two series. Get his body back into the game. Get his brain used to analyzing defenses he’s unfamiliar with. It’s not about whether he can do it, because he absolutely can. This is more about giving Daniels live reps in a new offense, with a new center, because nothing beats live, game reps. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Will Commanders' Dan Quinn play Jayden Daniels during the preseason?