Jayden Daniels Delivers Blunt Message After Commanders Primetime Meltd

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 17, 2025, 9:04 AM

jayden daniels delivers blunt message after commanders primetime meltd

Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for the Washington Commanders in their primetime collapse against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2. Jayden Daniels was not exempt from blame, but the quarterback doesn't plan on wallowing in self-pity for long. Daniels is all about what comes next. Even when he was in the midst of his rookie campaign for the ages, he was focused firmly on upcoming challenges and nothing more. It's also why he turned the page on his first-year accomplishments quickly to ensure this meteoric rise could be sustained. Things did not go well for Daniels on Thursday Night Football versus the Green Bay Packers.

The defensive game plan was first-class, keeping the signal-caller contained by bringing pressure consistently and locking up the wide receivers with relative comfort. It was an evening to forget for everyone associated with the franchise, and a lot of soul-searching is needed over the mini-bye week to make sure this doesn't impact their overall goals. The former LSU standout sent a blunt message that the team needed to hear. Daniels was not going to panic over one loss, and he doesn't expect his teammates to, either. He still believes, and there is a fierce desire to right this wrong at the earliest possible opportunity. This mentality will envelop everyone in the locker room.

The Commanders should be made of sterner stuff than to get too caught up in one loss. They proved that last season. Having an early test of their resolve isn't ideal, but they've overcome adversity effectively before. Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels 5 walks the field after a game against the Chicago Bears at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland on Sunday, October 27, 2024. The Commanders beat the Bears 18-15 after Daniels 5 threw a 65-yard Hail Mary pass into the end-zone with no time left on the clock. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY WAP20241027447 BONNIExCASH

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels 5 walks the field after a game against the Chicago Bears at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland on Sunday, October 27, 2024. The Commanders beat the Bears 18-15 after Daniels 5 threw a 65-yard Hail Mary pass into the end-zone with no time left on the clock. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY WAP20241027447 BONNIExCASH Even fairytales meet their final chapter, and for the Cinderella Commanders, that chapter was a 55-23 nightmare authored by the Eagles. No glass slippers, no magical endings—just Philly’s relentless dominance. But hold on, Washington fans, don’t close the book just yet.

Jayden Daniels, the Commanders’ new franchise face, isn’t treating this as a tragedy. He’s calling it a beginning. After the game, Daniels took the mic with fire in his voice and a chip on his shoulder. “I don’t ever want to have this feeling again,” he declared. Bold words, but here’s the thing—he meant every one of them. For a rookie, this wasn’t just a loss.

It was a blueprint for his return. In the face of defeat, Jayden Daniels stood tall—well, maybe not in the stat column (255 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT), but in heart and leadership. Football’s a team game, sure, but when your squad’s heartbeat is under center, you know you’ve got something special brewing. The Washington Commanders have fallen again. One week removed from a 28-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, albeit a short week, the squad hit the road to take on the Philadelphia Eagles. The star-studded NFC East squad got some separation from the Commanders in the division standings with a 26-18 win.

Washington cleaned the house last offseason. They've got a rookie quarterback under center and head coach Dan Quinn is in his first year with the franchise. LSU product and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels has been incredible despite being in his first year in the NFL. After the loss, Daniels had a message for his teammeates and the rest of the team. "For us? Man, we've got to execute.

We haven't been executing how we were before at the beginning half of the season," Daniels said. "So, we've got to go back and, like I said, look at ourselves in the mirror. How can we get better? How can we keep improving? It's a long season, so there's going to be ups and downs, but how can we fight through adversity?" Daniels is certainly taking the right approach after falling to 7-4 on the season.

Everything is still in front of them, and they've got to improve to come away with some big wins later in the season to ensure they find their way into the postseason. Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels addressed the media after practice on Sept. 25. Here is a full transcript of the press conference. On being named NFC Offensive Player of the Week: "It means a lot. Just gotta thank God for putting me in this position, allowing me to play this game and inspire others."

On being back at Arizona State University: "It's cool. First time back in a while, able to just walk around here and relive some memories in my head. But the main thing is to focus on the Arizona Cardinals." * On the last few days and on if playing well on Monday Night Football is different than a big game in college:*... I guess everybody says a primetime game, all eyes are watching. For me, it's like, man, maybe if some kid who never watched me play before was able to turn on that game and watch me play and be inspired by somebody." On avoiding a letdown after an emotional win: "It's another game.

That game's in the past, don't even mean nothing no more." On anything specific last week that led to his connections with WR Terry McLaurin: "Man, pieces fell in place. It wasn't anything specifically, we just kept working, kept growing. And that's the testament to Terry, who he is as a pro. Be able to just be out there and be patient, because like I said before, it's not going to be smooth sailing, going to have some adversity, have some rollercoaster, some ups and downs. So, salute to Terry."

Jayden Daniels came close, but in the end, came up short in becoming the first rookie quarterback to ever start in the Super Bowl. Daniels' Washington Commanders fell to the Philadelphia Eagles 55-23 Sunday in the NFC championship. Sunday's loss ended the greatest rookie season for a quarterback in NFL history. Daniels completed 29 of 48 passes for 255 yards, with a touchdown and interception. It was his first turnover in three postseason games and came late when the game was essentially over. Daniels finished his debut season with the most passing yards for a rookie quarterback in league history.

Daniels was understandably dejected after the loss that ended his season. “Obviously, man, this sucks,” Daniels said via Pro Football Talk. “This s--t sucks. Excuse my language, but I couldn’t be prouder of the guys in the locker room. Year one, everybody not really knowing each other — rookies, doing a tremendous job bringing us in and helping us out. We all just meshed.

We got to this point, but at the end of the day, we lost and it sucks. We’ll move on from this.” It was a tough way to end such a phenomenal year. But it's important to note the 2024 season was supposed to be a transitional year for the Commanders. The most important part of their magical 2024 season was not winning 12 regular-season games, two playoff games, or appearing in the NFC championship game for the first time in 33 years. It was finding a quarterback.

Daniels is a legit superstar. The Washington Commanders far exceeded even the most optimistic expectations anyone had for the franchise in 2024. Led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who authored one of the most impressive seasons ever seen by a first-year signal-caller, the Commanders won a playoff game for the first time since 2005, upsetting the... After that win, the Commanders had a chance to advance to the Super Bowl in the NFC championship game vs. the Philadelphia Eagles. The Commanders' magical ride ended with a 55-23 loss to the Eagles on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.

And for Daniels, it was difficult to hide the raw emotions defeat conjured up. Speaking to reporters after the game, Daniels was blunt in his response when asked what he takes from the Commanders' journey this season. He’s taking his share of knocks as a rookie, and Jayden Daniels didn’t mince words when asked about his health following a torrid outing against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11. The Washington Commanders quarterback was sacked three times and averaged just six yards per completion during the 26-18 defeat on Thursday Night Football. Daniels showed signs of wear and tear from the rib injury he suffered against the Carolina Panthers in Week 7, as well as incurring a cut on his throwing hand against the Eagles. Speaking after the game at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday, November 14, Daniels was blunt when asked if he’s healthy enough to be playing.

The second-overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft told reporters, including Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, “If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be on the field right now.” Although Daniels’ answer was endorsed by head coach Dan Quinn, not everybody is convinced the first-year sensation is playing at full capacity. Quinn admitted to Jhabvala (h/t Ben Standig of The Athletic) Daniels was hindered by the rib problem “early on.” The coach said “it’s fair to say the first game after Carolina, I’m not sure...

Jayden Daniels Delivers Blunt Message After Commanders Primetime Meltd

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