OPINION:
The Washington Commanders do not need a new franchise quarterback. They need to protect the one they already have.
That became painfully clear last week when Jayden Daniels went down against the Dallas Cowboys after falling awkwardly on his left arm. The diagnosis was a dislocated left elbow — the same elbow that he dislocated last season.
On Sunday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that Daniels is expected back “within three weeks.” That outlook is considerably better than it appeared when Daniels left the field, but it should not end the conversation about the position behind him.
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If anything, the three weeks give the Commanders the luxury of addressing the question without panic.
My answer: Call the Cleveland Browns and test their resolve. Cleveland has reportedly maintained it has no plans to trade Shedeur Sanders, but every player has a price — and Washington should find out what it would take to acquire him.
This is not an argument for replacing Daniels; there should be no quarterback controversy in Washington. Daniels is the franchise quarterback and should remain so.
It is, however, an argument for building a quarterback room capable of protecting Washington’s future when Daniels is unable to play.
Marcus Mariota has done virtually everything Washington could reasonably ask of a backup quarterback. He is experienced, athletic, respected and capable of winning games.
Last season, when Daniels’ injuries forced Washington to lean heavily on Mariota, the veteran appeared in 11 games and started eight. He threw for 1,695 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions. When Daniels went down against Dallas, Mariota stepped in again, completing 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown.
The Commanders should be grateful to have him, but Mariota is 32 and in his 12th NFL season. Washington has already needed considerably more from its backup quarterback than most teams would prefer.
Daniels appeared in only seven games last season while dealing with knee, hamstring and elbow injuries.
The Commanders should not simply ask who can start next week; they should ask who can be back up to Daniels for the next several years.
Sanders would arrive with something that Mariota cannot offer Washington indefinitely: time. At 24, Sanders could spend the next several seasons developing behind a quarterback who is only slightly older than he is.
Washington would not need him to rescue the franchise or become the face of the organization, and it certainly would not need to manufacture a competition between him and Daniels.
His job would be simpler: Learn the offense, develop and stay ready. Quarterbacks get hurt. Washington knows that better than most teams right now. Daniels’ mobility is part of what makes him extraordinary, but his recent injury history means Washington cannot build its quarterback room on the assumption that QB2 will rarely see the field.
Daniels’ three-week prognosis should not obscure what happened a year ago, when the quarterback returned from the same injury after missing three games. He reinjured the elbow in his first game back and eventually missed the remainder of the season.
Mariota remains the right quarterback for the immediate moment. With Daniels sidelined, the veteran has earned the opportunity to lead this offense until the franchise quarterback returns.
Daniels’ encouraging prognosis might seem like an argument against making a move at quarterback. I see it differently. Washington does not need to trade for someone because Daniels could miss months; it should consider adding a young quarterback precisely because this is not about surviving three weeks.
It is about constructing the depth chart behind Daniels for the next three years.
Washington can appreciate Mariota while acknowledging that a 32-year-old quarterback in his 12th NFL season is not a long-term QB2 succession plan. It can believe completely in Daniels while still recognizing that protecting a franchise quarterback means preparing for the Sundays when he cannot play.
Sanders could benefit from Washington too. In Cleveland, every development at quarterback inevitably becomes part of the search for the Browns’ next long-term starter. In Washington, there would be no such ambiguity.
The job belongs to Daniels. Sanders would not be coming to Washington to take it. He would be coming to make sure the Commanders’ future does not collapse whenever Daniels goes down.
Washington does not need another franchise quarterback. It needs better insurance for the franchise quarterback it already has.
• Jeff Bennett is the author of “The Black Belt of Virginia: Untold Stories of African American History.”
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