There was no sign of quarterback Jayden Daniels when the Washington Commanders boarded their flight to Spain for an international contest against the Miami Dolphins. And one recent update regarding his injury status moving forward should make head coach Dan Quinn's decision pretty simple in the long term.
Daniels was spotted in an immobilizing sling in Week 10 against the Detroit Lions after dislocating his elbow late in a defeat to the Seattle Seahawks. He is out indefinitely, but did not go to injured reserve after an MRI revealed that there was no ligament damage.
It was the latest in a series of constant injury worries for the Commanders this season. However, things could have been a lot worse.
Not having Daniels would make any team worse. He's the dynamic signal-caller who spearheaded the Commanders to levels not seen for decades in his first season. He's looked human this time around, and the brutal punishment that his playing style demands has taken a heavy toll on the team's chances.
NFL insider touts potential timeline for Jayden Daniels' return from injury
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, citing sources with close knowledge of the situation, Daniels' recovery time could be 3-to-6 weeks. That's a promising prognosis, especially considering the Commanders have a bye week in the middle of that. Even so, it's done nothing to diminish the debate around whether Washington should put its most prized possession in harm's way down the stretch.
"I’m told Jayden Daniels could potentially be back after three weeks on that elbow issue. Not gonna need surgery. They’re not putting him on injured reserve, but talking to the team, people with (Daniels), this could turn iinto a five-to-six week thing real fast , depending on when they revisit this thing, into a two to two-and-a-half, three week thing."
Jeremy Fowler via Heavy
If Daniels is on the later side of this recovery projection, it would be wise to keep him out of the firing line. If it's on the lower end, that might still be the case if the Commanders keep losing. That would be difficult for the former LSU phenom to accept, but this team isn't going to be playing for anything other than pride.
All Daniels can do is keep working hard on his rehabilitation and take things step by step. The fact that he was wearing an immobilizing sling didn't exactly inspire confidence, but his mindset dictates that he'll be attacking this process just as hard as anything else. Everything is out of his hands after that, which is arguably the most frustrating thing of all.
It's also worth remembering that Daniels is still young and evolving as a player. He put together one of the greatest rookie campaigns in NFL history. Still, former pros have started to see flaws in his processing, taking off before assessing all his options, and his unhealthy willingness to absorb contact rather than slide effectively. That's why reps are so important right now.
There is no substitute for experience in a competitive regular-season setting. Daniels gained plenty of that last season, but more polish is required. At the same time, putting him out there is dangerous, especially if the elbow hasn't fully healed. Another awkward fall could bring much graver ramifications attached, so it's a tricky situation that must be handled with extreme care.
The Commanders have the luxury of time. They also know that making the playoffs or even attaining a winning record seems unlikely through 10 games. They will take everything into account, but it would still be surprising to see Daniels under center at any point in 2025.
Daniels won't like it; that's the competitive side of him, wanting to be on the field and doing whatever it takes to end their alarming slump. But there also needs to be self-reflection and a realistic outlook. After that, attention turns to his overall playing style and how it can be changed to prevent such incidents from happening again.
That's for the not-too-distant future. For now, Daniels will be watching his teammates from afar as they look to pick up a morale-boosting triumph over the Dolphins in Madrid.