Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has taken responsibility for one of the most painful moments of the NFL season, and he is now making sure his teammates know exactly how he plans to respond. After the Commanders failed to get a potential game-winning field goal off against the New York Giants in Week 5, Daniels addressed the locker room and once again blamed himself for the overtime mistake. He also made a vow that he would not allow the same situation to happen again.
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels addressed his teammates, once more blaming himself for the end-of-overtime debacle against the Giants on Sunday before making a vow. Story via @john_keim: https://t.co/HQxdkjozDD
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 15, 2026
Washington ultimately settled for a 27-27 tie with New York after holding a 27-13 fourth-quarter lead. Daniels returned from a two-game absence because of an elbow injury and had an otherwise impressive performance, throwing for 199 yards while rushing for 103 yards and two touchdowns.
MORE:Predicting upsets in Week 6 of NFL season
Daniels takes responsibility for overtime mistake
The Commanders had the opportunity to win after recovering a Cam Skattebo fumble in overtime. Daniels helped move Washington into field-goal range, but the Commanders had no timeouts remaining when the final sequence unfolded. With 12 seconds left, Daniels took the snap and scrambled instead of throwing the ball away or getting out of bounds. He was tackled for no gain with eight seconds remaining, and Washington was unable to get lined up for a spike before the clock expired.
Daniels immediately accepted responsibility following the game, saying the offense needed to understand the situation and that the mistake ultimately started with him. Head coach Dan Quinn also took responsibility, acknowledging that Washington should have stopped the clock earlier rather than trying to gain additional yards.
But Daniels was not finished addressing the situation.
Daniels spoke to his teammates again and continued to put the blame on himself rather than allowing the mistake to become a distraction inside the locker room. The quarterback made it clear that he understands the standard expected of him as Washington’s franchise player.
MORE:Bold predictions for Week 6 of 2026 NFL season
Daniels promises it will never happen again
During his Thursday media availability, Daniels expanded on his comments and explained why he felt the responsibility belonged to him. As the quarterback, he believes he has to be the player who remains calm and controls the situation when everything is happening quickly.
“Ultimately, like, it’s on me,” Daniels said, according to NBC Sports. He added that he is the person on the field who is supposed to calm everything down and control the situation, saying he failed to meet the standard he holds for himself and the organization.
Then came the promise that should resonate with his teammates.
“It will never happen again.”
That vow comes at an important point in Washington’s season. The Commanders are now 1-3-1 and face an extremely difficult challenge against the undefeated San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.
The overtime mistake will likely remain one of the biggest talking points surrounding Washington for some time, but Daniels has chosen to respond by accepting the blame and promising improvement.
For a young quarterback who is viewed as the centerpiece of the franchise, that response could be just as important as what happens on the field. Daniels knows he has to be better in those situations, and now his teammates have heard him make a commitment that he will not let the same mistake happen twice.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —