Jayden Daniels walks off the field after suffering a major injury in Sunday Night Football.
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas executed a routine, by-the-book tackle when Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels appeared to suffer a severe arm injury on Sunday night. The stop did not draw a flag on the field and looked like standard technique on multiple angles of the play.
Daniels was immediately tended to, his arm placed in an air cast, and he exited the game.
Warning: The play is gruesome.
Aggregate Sports
oh my god JAYDEN DANIELS ARM
Seattle’s View: Routine Play, Unlucky Outcome
From the Seahawks’ sideline, the moment reads as football bad luck, not foul play. Thomas closed space, wrapped and spun the ball carrier with square pads and no launch — the exact form position coaches ask for in space. Video shared to social media shows a typical finish to a quarterback run that ends awkwardly for Daniels’ left arm as the two players go to ground. Daniels tried to brace himself and his arm bent the wrong direction.
For readers seeking injury discourse around the moment, medical opinions also circulated on social media. Those should be treated as commentary rather than diagnosis until Washington issues an official update.
Jesse Morse, M.D.
Jayden Daniels
Left elbow/forearm
Looked like a fracture/dislocation.
Elbow bends the wrong way.
You can see them putting on an air cast.
This is season-ending barring something miraculous.
Shame.
How the Play Unfolded
On the run, Thomas squared up and brought Daniels down with a wrap and roll consistent with NFL coaching points. Thomas was playing in the game after Seattle Seahawks starting linebacker Ernest Jones IV exited with a knee injury of his own.
Multiple independent clips shared online capture essentially the same mechanics from different vantage points.
Fans began to question Commanders coach Dan Quinn, wondering why the second-year star QB was playing in a blowout loss.
DivaD4k
Dan Quinn should be fired for letting Jayden Daniels get hurt.
Down 31 with 7 minutes left why is he still playing ?
Seattle’s defense regrouped quickly after the play. Thomas, a green-dot candidate when injuries hit the linebacker room, has been praised internally for communication and tackling fundamentals. Coaches will point to this rep as evidence that outcomes can be unfortunate even when the defense uses proper form.
Deadspin
Why was Jayden Daniels even in the game 38-7?
NBC cameras captured Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald apologizing to Quinn afterward, saying “sorry about Jayden.”
What’s Next for Seattle
From a Seahawks standpoint, the focus shifts to composure and the next series. Expect Seattle to reiterate its stance that Thomas made a clean football play and to deflect any insinuation of intent. If the Commanders announce details on Daniels, we’ll update with verified information and quotes from both locker rooms.
The Seahawks went on to win 38-14, and position themselves as one of the elite teams in the NFC at 6-2. The broadcast expected the Seahawks to begin getting national attention as one of the best in the NFC.