Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) on the sideline before the game at Northwest Stadium
Commanders Dodge Major Setback After Latest Update on Jayden Daniels’ Elbow 1
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is on track to return this Sunday against the New York Giants after missing two games with a dislocated left elbow. By avoiding surgery or a stint on injured reserve, he saved the Commanders from losing him for a much longer stretch of the season.
Daniels originally suffered the injury on the final play of the first half during Washington’s Week 2 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. His return couldn’t have come at a better time for the team, since backup quarterback Marcus Mariot is now out with an MCL injury.
Jayden Daniels ready for Giants clash after full practice
Daniels logged a full practice Wednesday. Head coach Dan Quinn had said Monday that a full week of practice was the condition for starting against the Giants. The Commanders ruled out surgery and did not place Daniels on injured reserve, which would have cost him at least four games.
Oct 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) is interviewed after the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Oct 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) is interviewed after the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Daniels will wear a brace on the elbow. “That’s what the brace is for. If I had that concern, I would have gotten surgery,” he said last week when asked about re-injury.
Mariota started in Daniels’ place in Weeks 3 and 4. He went 19-of-31 for 183 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-31 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Washington then lost to the Indianapolis Colts in London and scored only 13 points. Mariota left that game with the MCL sprain, which also cost him time in the preseason after an Aug. 14 game against the Miami Dolphins, per ESPN.
Washington will not put Mariota on injured reserve, but his return timeline remains unclear. While Daniels’ return provides a massive boost, and Daniels himself brushes off the risk of re-injury, NFL analyst Evan Sidery warned that rushing the franchise quarterback back under center invites another risk of re-injury.
Sidery took to X on Thursday to express his concern, writing, “Jayden Daniels will play this week for the Commanders after missing two games with a dislocated elbow, per @RapSheet. With Marcus Mariota now out an extended period, Daniels is back under center running another risk of re-injury.”
Jayden Daniels will play this week for the Commanders after missing two games with a dislocated elbow, per @RapSheet.
With Marcus Mariota now out an extended period, Daniels is back under center running another risk of re-injury. https://t.co/VzrLdvzSRE
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) October 8, 2026
Durability is a growing concern for Daniels, who has finished a full game just five times since the start of the 2025 season. Moreover, he dislocated this same left elbow back in November of last year.
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