Jayden Daniels looking beyond clock-management gaffe against Giants: ‘It’ll never happen again’
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Jayden Daniels will look to bounce back from his stunning clock-management mistake during the Washington Commanders’ 27-27 tie against the New York Giants in Week 5.
Daniels, speaking to the media on Thursday ahead of the Commanders’ trip to the San Francisco 49ers for Monday Night Football, said that he addressed the gaffe during a meeting with his offensive teammates on Monday.
“I let guys know it’ll never happen again and we’re going to move forward,” Daniels said, per ESPN’s John Keim.
The Commanders will indeed need to “move forward” if they want to escape a rut that they’ve been in since 2025. After being named the NFL’s Rookie of the Year and leading Washington to the NFC Championship Game in 2024, Daniels missed eight games due to injury in 2025 as the Commanders slumped to a 5-12 record.
The 2026 season hasn’t gone any better. Washington enters Week 6 at 1-3-1, with Week 5 marking Daniels’ return to the field after missing two games with a dislocated left elbow. It’s the second time that’s happened in as many seasons. And, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday, there’s worry among league doctors that “it’s a matter of when, not if” it happens again.
While the vibes were high in Daniels’ rookie season, they’re anything but in Year 3. But the former LSU star isn’t dwelling on his mistake against the Giants.
“I’m moving on to San Francisco,” Daniels said. “I can’t say it’s not warranted because of what happened. Everybody has opinions to speak, and rightfully so. So can’t stop nobody from saying their opinion or anything like that. It’s just about my process and moving forward and learning from it.”
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
