The debate grew louder after Jayden Daniels suffered a serious elbow injury in Washington’s 38-14 loss to Seattle. Many questioned why the Commanders left their star quarterback in a game that was already out of reach, with the Commanders trailing 38–7 and about seven minutes left.
Former Super Bowl champion Jon Gruden broke down the tough spot coaches face in these situations. “Number one, it is 38-7 with seven minutes left, you probably should take the guy out of the game,” Gruden said on Wake Up Barstool’s Football G-Spot with Greg and Gruden. He pointed out that Daniels had already suffered two injuries this season, making the risk even greater.
Should Jayden Daniels have been taken out of the game? @BarstoolGruden and @gregolsen88 weigh in pic.twitter.com/5KDtb7XYsP
— Wake Up Barstool (@wakeupbarstool) November 3, 2025
However, Gruden also understood Washington’s thinking. The Commanders offense has struggled badly this year after looking sharp last season. “Daniels is scrambling on almost every single drop back pass,” Gruden noted.
He believes the coaching staff “probably wanted to generate a little bit of confidence [and] try to get some positive momentum for this offense that has really disappeared.”
The offense needs to rediscover its identity. Terry McLaurin’s holdout and multiple injuries have hurt the unit’s rhythm throughout the season. Getting a few completions and maybe scoring in garbage time could spark something positive moving forward.
Former NFL tight end Greg Olsen defended coaches who face these calls. “I’ve been in many games where we were on the wrong side of the scoreboard, and you find yourself in the fourth quarter and you start looking at the clock,” Olsen said. Players want to stay in because they care about what shows up on film. “What you put on film is what you are,” he explained.
Olsen stressed that second-guessing coaches creates a no-win situation. “I think obviously, if they knew he was going to get hurt, they would have taken him out of there,” he said.
The injury could have happened earlier when the score was closer. “It’s so hard in the NFL to make the call on when you’re going to take guys out of a competitive game.”
Quarterbacks think differently than most people understand. Tom Brady played 98% of offensive snaps in a 38-3 loss to New Orleans back in 2020. The Saints led 35-0 at one point, yet Brady stayed in the game. These leaders don’t want teammates thinking they quit on them.
The NFL’s short schedule makes every snap matter. Players have limited chances to showcase their abilities on film. Taking snaps away means fewer opportunities to prove yourself to teammates and the entire league.
Washington Commanders Gamble on Late-Game Reps and Pay the Price with Pain
Washington’s offense has looked nothing like last year’s unit. The Commanders need Daniels and the offense to click again before the season slips away completely. Staying in the game during the fourth quarter gave them chances to work through problems.
Kingsbury’s offense relies on timing and chemistry. Building that takes real game reps, not just practice. The coaching staff clearly wanted to use those final minutes for something productive despite the score.
Injuries have already hurt Daniels twice this season. The risk was real, but so was the need to fix a broken offense. Coaches must balance player safety against team needs every single week.
The situation now looks awful for Washington. Multiple players got hurt during Sunday night’s loss beyond just Daniels. The Commanders face tough questions about their season and their approach to managing star players.
No one wins when injuries happen in garbage time. The debate will continue across the league about when to pull starters. But the decision isn’t as simple as fans think from their couches.
