COMMANDERS SQUAD | Bye Week Reality Check: Jayden Daniels’ Elbow, Losing Skid & What’s Next

Locked On Commanders - Daily Podcast On The Washington Commanders

On today’s Commanders Squad, Nick Ashooh, Anthony Armstrong and David Harrison try to figure out where the Washington Commanders really stand at the bye week.

We’re unpacking a season that’s gone sideways fast:

Sitting in the misery: Washington hits the bye with a losing record after that overtime gut punch in Madrid against Miami and a long skid that’s completely flipped the vibes from last year.

Five plays that broke the season: We walk through the moments called out this week – from the Bears collapse, to “Doomsday in Dallas,” to the late-game chaos against the Dolphins – and how each one changed the arc of 2025.

Jayden Daniels’ elbow & what the team does now: Daniels’ left elbow bent backward late in a blowout, but tests showed no structural damage and no surgery needed. The big question: do you put your franchise rookie back on the field this year, or shut him down and protect 2026?

Injuries everywhere: From Jayden already missing time with knee and hamstring issues to Terry McLaurin’s quad keeping him out for most of the season, we talk about how this roster got stripped of its firepower and what that’s done to the offense.

Dan Quinn under the microscope: How Quinn handled keeping Daniels in, what he’s said since, and what he needs to fix over the bye to keep this locker room from “just sitting in this misery” the rest of the way.

Bye week blueprint: What Washington should actually focus on during the break: protecting the QB, figuring out who’s part of the long-term core, and how they avoid wasting another year of development.

👀 Join the conversation:
What should the Commanders do with Jayden Daniels after the bye – play him if he’s cleared, or shut him down for the season? Drop your take in the comments.

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