Joe Theismann Reveals His Honest Thoughts About Jayden Daniels

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 17, 2025, 9:17 PM

joe theismann reveals his honest thoughts about jayden daniels

Jayden Daniels’ rookie season transformed more than just the Washington Commanders’ win column. It earned him praise from one of the franchise’s most legendary figures. Joe Theismann, who guided Washington to two Super Bowl appearances and captured the championship in Super Bowl XVII, recently shared his thoughts on the young quarterback’s impressive debut campaign. The former Washington great expressed confidence in Daniels during an appearance on Good Morning Football, believing the Heisman Trophy winner could usher in a new era for the organization. “Great work ethic, terrific young man, smart, knows how to play. Jayden understands the entire game of football, processes things very well, and he’s made big play after big play after big play all through the course of last year.

Love everything about him. And I think one of the most important things you have to have at the position is you have to be respected by your teammates, and he certainly is,” Theismann said. Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Washington Commanders fans saw their franchise quarterback go down with an agonizing injury yet again earlier this week, as Jayden Daniels dislocated his left elbow in gruesome fashion. Unfortunately, that has not been an uncommon sight for Commanders fans, as they've seen similar injuries to Joe Theismann, Robert Griffin III, and Alex Smith.

This will be the third separate time this season in which Daniels has missed time, with the two other stints coming from hamstring injuries. With Daniels’ injuries, the Commanders’ season has derailed after an NFC Championship Game appearance in Daniels’ rookie season, though. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Poor Washington Commanders fans have heard this story before. The team has a history of the star quarterbacks being lost to injury. Jayden Daniels was injured Week 9 on “Sunday Night Football” when he suffered a gruesome left elbow dislocation.

Daniels is now part of the Washington fraternity of quarterbacks with injury troubles, including Alex Smith, Robert Griffin III, and Joe Theismann. Similar to Daniels, Theismann’s injury took place on primetime television, this time on “Monday Night Football” in 1985. Theismann’s leg broke after New York Giants legend Lawrence Taylor landed on it. Taylor can immediately be seen yelling to the sideline for medical staff. Similar scenes unfolded on Sunday. But, Daniels has not been placed on injured reserve.

Head coach Dan Quinn said Daniels suffered no ligament damage and will not need surgery. Meaning, there is a possibility Daniels could return this season if the hole they dig isn’t too deep. The Commanders (3-7) face the Miami Dolphins (3-7) in an international matchup in Madrid, Spain, Sunday morning. GettyLANDOVER, MARYLAND – NOVEMBER 02: Jayden Daniels #5 of the Washington Commanders walks to the locker room after injuring his left arm during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks in the game at... (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) Washington Commanders fans can't wait to see quarterback Jayden Daniels in action this season.

Getting a glimpse of what the future might hold and the talent the No. 2 overall pick could bring to the Commanders offense is something that has everyone counting down the days until he takes his first steps onto a truly competitive field in the NFL. According to Washington legend and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Theismann, however, that time shouldn't come until mid-September at the earliest. "He isn't and shouldn't play in the preseason," "He isn't and shouldn't play in the preseason," Theismann said during a recent appearance on the Craig Hoffman Show. "So if he isn't going to play in the preseason, how are we going to be able to understand how good he is when he, he's got people around his feet and it's a...

Joe Theismann recognizes the importance of Sunday's game for the Washington Commanders. Washington caps the NFL International Series with a matchup against the Miami Dolphins in the NFL Madrid Game at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Game time is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET, and 3:30 p.m. local time. Theismann spent the week in Madrid as part of a partnership with USAA.

Theismann, Alejandro Villanueva and Ryan Tannehill helped organize a flag football tournament for U.S. military members Wednesday. The winners earned tickets to Sunday's game between the Commanders and Dolphins – which is just Washington's second international game in franchise history. The Commanders are trying to break a five-game losing streak that has derailed the season. "At this stage of the season, you just want to get a win," Theismann told The Sporting News. "You don't worry about four or five weeks down the road and what position you're going to be in.

This to me is monumental for us. To lose six in a row is something this team has not done in a long time, especially coming off the year they had last year." The Washington Commanders are in the midst of a full-blown renaissance. After the new ownership group took over, Washington took just one season to go from a four-win bottom-feeder to the NFC Championship Game. Now they’re walking into the 2025-26 season as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. However, it’s been a long time since the fanbase had much to cheer about, with just six playoff appearances in the last 30 years.

As a result, everyone is excited about the new-look Commanders, including a former MVP and Super Bowl champion from the franchise, Joe Theismann. After coming to the NFL in 1974, Theismann spent the entirety of his 12-year run with the Washington Redskins. It took him a while to get things underway, but a two-year stretch in 1982 and 1983 defined his success with the franchise. During that dominant period, he earned two Pro Bowl selections and won the league’s MVP and Offensive Player of the Year award in 1983. He also led them to a victory in Super Bowl 17 and another appearance in Super Bowl 18. Now set to participate in the American Century Championship from July 11 onwards, Theismann sat down with PFSN for an exclusive interview.

The conversation inevitably turned to his former team and their recent turnaround. AthlonSports.com offers reliable predictions, provides expert analysis, reacts to breaking news, and helps shape the way fans view the game. On Sunday night, the Washington Commanders, led by quarterback Jayden Daniels, defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20. With that win, they advance to the divisional round to take on the Detroit Lions. It was a historic victory for the Commanders, as the franchise had not won a playoff game in 19 years, which just so happened to be another wild-card win over the Buccaneers in January... Daniels performed amazingly and completed 24 of 35 passes for 268 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.

After the game, legendary Commanders quarterback Joe Theismann clarified his opinion on Daniels and his season.

Joe Theismann Reveals His Honest Thoughts About Jayden Daniels

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