One Concern Arises After Commanders' Jayden Daniels Debut

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels lost his helmet twice in Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Sep 8, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (31) hits Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) in the helment during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

During the Washington Commanders' Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, quarterback Jayden Daniels lost his helmet not once, but twice.

The first time Daniels lost his helmet was in the second quarter following the rookie's 12-yard scramble to secure a first down. The second occurrence took place near the end of the game when the Commanders scored their third and final touchdown of the day.

"I think that's a question for the coaches (laughing)," Daniels said when asked about how he did when it came to protecting himself. "They've got to determine that, but no, I got down, got what I could get. Obviously, you know, that one hit and the one on the goal line, that was nothing. I wasn't going to go down for that. I got to score, so..."

Although losing a helmet on a play is concerning to see, the good news is that Daniels didn't lose it (twice) as a result of hard hits to the head or body-crunching tackles. In fact, Daniels' helmet appeared to come off quite easily both times, making some wonder if he tends to wear his helmet loosely.

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"Yeah," Daniels said after being asked if he likes to wear his helmet looser. "A lot of people probably try to say something about that, but honestly, I'm just playing football back there. Your helmet is going to pop off no matter what, if you have it buckled up tight or loose at the end of the day."

Daniels rushed 16 times against the Buccaneers, which is a lot for a quarterback, no matter their style or background. And as you can imagine, it certainly makes you wonder if losing his helmet is something Commanders fans should expect to see more of moving forward, particularly if he refuses to slide.

For now, what matters is that Daniels is healthy and well despite those helmet scares. However, it's a problem that could persist, making things dicey for the Commanders down the line.

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