The results of an MRI done on Jayden Daniels’ dislocated left elbow will now go through a rigorous study by specialists to determine exactly what next steps the Washington Commanders should take with their starting quarterback, according to a source.
So what does that mean?
Daniels will miss Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. Marcus Mariota will start.
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Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels lies on the field with an apparent left arm injury during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sept. 20, 2026. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Interestingly, the Seahawks are optimistic they will get starting quarterback Sam Darnold back for that game, although that is not yet fully certain and will depend on how he looks in practice.
Daniels, meanwhile, is getting multiple medical opinions to determine what he should do next.
“He had imaging done today,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said. “He’ll see specialists early this week, Tuesday and Wednesday, and then we’ll go through the process from there.
“…Until we go through that process, we just, I’d be guessing to give you any [timeline].”
Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn talks to fans during practice at the team’s NFL football training camp, Sunday, July 27, 2025, in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
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Quinn is wise not to give a timeline because the specialists might suggest something so drastic as surgery, which would end Daniels’ season. Or they could reboot a rehabilitation program similar to the one Daniels underwent last season that avoided surgery altogether.
Even a rehab program is probably going to keep Daniels out for weeks.
Daniels, who played only seven of 17 games last year, dislocated the same left elbow last season and opted not to have surgery in an effort to try and save the season.
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) is helped off the field after injuring his arm in the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
He missed three games while he recovered.
But he aggravated the injury in Week 14 against and the club basically shut him down the final four games.
And here are the lingering questions: Are Daniels and the Commanders going to take the same path, basically doing the same thing, and expecting a different long-term result?
Surgery is drastic and rarely needed following an elbow dislocation. But because the details of the Daniels MRI are not known, surgery cannot be ruled out.
Surgery is often recommended when the elbow cannot maintain its proper alignment or remains unstable after manually guiding the bones back into place – a non-surgical procedure called a closed reduction.
Surgery is also recommended when ligaments, tendons, or joint capsules are severely torn and compromise long-term joint function.
But, again, it remains unknown what exactly Daniels is dealing with.
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The Commanders now face the prospect of playing at least one game and probably more with Mariota, and perhaps another quarterback, while Daniels recovers.
Losing Daniels is a major blow because Washington’s offense is built around his arm talent, mobility and ability to create opportunities outside the structure of the offense.
His absence in the coming weeks (months?) places greater pressure on an already 0–2 team and a coaching staff trying to stabilize a season that has quickly veered off course.
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