Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered another elbow injury, exiting the week two matchup against the Dallas Cowboys
The injury bug has hit Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels once again.
Daniels exited Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys with an injury on the final play of the first half. Following the snap, Daniels appeared to trip on the foot of starting left guard Chris Paul before falling and using his left arm to brace himself before being tackled. Daniels then tried to run off the field with the rest of the offense before drawing medical attention from the training staff then being carted off the field.
Daniels was ruled out by the team due to a left elbow injury at halftime with Washington trailing, 17-10.
Daniels was arguably the lone source of optimism for the Commanders in the first half, exiting the game with 96 passing yards and one touchdown on 11-of-17 passing. He added another 69 yards on seven carries, while Daniels also surpassed 5,000 career passing yards on the opening series. The feat made Daniels the fourth fastest player in NFL history to record at least 5,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in his career.
The Commanders turned to veteran Marcus Mariota to begin the second half, while seventh round pick Athan Kaliakmanis serves as the emergency third quarterback for the second consecutive week.
It marks a deflating reality for Daniels, who has worked to turn the page for a bounceback year three after injuries proved to be the theme of his sophomore season.
This also marks the second consecutive season that Daniels suffered an injury against the Cowboys in Dallas, one of multiple injuries the franchise quarterback suffered in 2025.
After winning Rookie of the Year in 2024, Daniels first suffered a left knee sprain in the week two loss against the Packers in Green Bay that sidelined him for two weeks. Daniels then led Washington to a road win against the Los Angeles Chargers before then suffering a right hamstring strain in the week seven road loss against the Cowboys. After missing one game, Daniels returned for the primetime week nine matchup against the Seattle Seahawks before suffering a dislocated left elbow, sidelining him once more. Daniels returned on Dec. 7 to face the Minnesota Vikings with the Commanders' season already lost, yet the injury bug would deal him another blow after an elbow injury marked his final appearance.
The Commanders will return to host the Seattle Seahawks for the home opener next Sunday, Sept. 27 in a game that will likely feature a pair of backup quarterbacks in Mariota and Drew Lock.
