Jayden Daniels taking a sack instead of throwing the ball out of bounds cost the Washington Commanders a much-needed overtime victory against the New York Giants on Sunday.
Green Bay Packers star defensive end Micah Parsons believes that action, which led to a 27-27 tie in Week 5, cost Daniels’ head coach his job.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn’s seat has been hot for some time, but it may be at a scorching level now after what occurred in Week 5 when Daniels went down in field goal range without a timeout and the clock hit zero in overtime to force a tie.
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This came after the Giants gifted them a chance for the win, as running back Cam Skattebo fumbled on a run play in field goal range for his own kicker that would’ve been a potential game-winner in overtime.
The Commanders were left stunned, as Quinn threw down his headset on the sideline knowing that his team should be 2-3 instead of 1-3-1. And frankly, he had to know the questions and speculations about his job security would be even louder.
Parsons added to it during the latest episode of “The Edge with Micah Parsons,” where he placed blame on Daniels in that final moment.
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“Jayden Daniels probably cost my man Dan Quinn his job, to be honest with you,” Parsons said in the episode.
“I’m a big Jayden Daniels fan, but, the reality is he probably cost a lot of people their jobs this past weekend.”
Quinn was Parsons’ defensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys from 2021-23 before accepting the head coaching post with the Commanders.
The Commanders had blown a lead they held most of the game at home on Sunday, with Malik Nabers tying it up with a touchdown in the fourth quarter to force overtime. And Giants kicker Dominic Zvada, who missed three field goals in the contest, missed a 46-yard attempt on the opening overtime drive.
Daniels should’ve just thrown the ball away, but debate over the final play in overtime has brought up the coaching staff and the team as a whole deserving blame – not just the signal-caller.
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“All respectfully, we get coached so much on these situations that I’m a defensive player and this is programmed to me,” Parsons added. “I know what to do in those situations.
“There’s no way I’m taking a sack with 14 seconds left and no timeouts. And mind you, it’d be different if Jayden Daniels was a rookie. This is your third year. You’ve been to the NFC Championship Game, you’ve been in big moments before. To me, even after the sack, you’re casually getting up. … I’m like, ‘You just took a sack.’ … He’s not even urgently getting up.”
Either way, after a brutal 2025 season that didn’t build upon reaching the NFC Championship Game in 2024, it hasn’t been great for Quinn and the Commanders to begin 2026. They sit at the bottom of a topsy-turvy NFC East division, and could’ve certainly used the victory to move to 2-3 just like the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.
For Daniels, it was a learning moment, but one Parsons and others believe he should’ve known about before even snapping the ball. It was his first game back since dislocating his left elbow again in Week 2 against the Cowboys on the road.
Daniels did, however, play a solid game, especially with his legs. The injury didn’t seem to make him hesitant to run, as he rushed for 103 yards with two touchdowns on the ground, while going 17-of-25 through the air for 199 yards.
There’s no doubting the talent the former Heisman Trophy winner has – it’s been on full display since winning the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year. And though his teammates were also lackadaisical when Daniels was sacked, the fact the quarterback went down with the ball in his hands with no timeouts in the first place is a real issue that Parsons believes trumps any other argument.
Will it cost Quinn his job? Leadership comes into question when the quarterback pulls that sort of stunt. Quinn said after the game that the blame “does not fall on” Daniels. However, Commanders left guard Chris Paul told 7News DC that the lack of timeouts was discussed in the huddle before the snap.
As for Daniels himself, he said, “We’ve got to know the situation. We’ve got to relay that as an offense. It starts with everybody, top down. Ultimately, it’s on me.”
Though he said it was on him, Parsons wanted more accountability.
“I’m a player. I’m a big JD5 fan, but that’s inexcusable bro. The lack of urgency, that’s something … I would’ve had to say something in the locker room. I would’ve had to come talk to him, like, ‘Yo, that’s not OK.’”
