The Washington Commanders got the best possible injury news surrounding quarterback Jayden Daniels' injury
The Washington Commanders got the best possible news regarding a key injury on Friday morning.
After suffering a dislocated elbow in the week two loss against the Dallas Cowboys, quarterback Jayden Daniels is not expected to have surgery and will not be placed on injured reserve, leaving him week-to-week with the hope that he returns sooner than later.
It marks a huge boost for Washington given the initial caution that he could be sidelined for the entire 2026 regular season given this marked the second time he has suffered a dislocated elbow on the same arm as 2025. Head coach Dan Quinn previously noted that Daniels was expected to see specialists on both Tuesday and Wednesday before seeking an additional opinion on Thursday, leading to Friday's announcement.
Daniels has been arguably the lone bright spot for the offense through the first six quarters of the Commanders' season, completing nearly 57% of his passes with 260 yards through the air, 100 yards on the ground with three passing touchdowns.
Though Daniels has already been ruled out for the home opener against the Seattle Seahawks this weekend, whether he makes his return for the week four London game against the Indianapolis Colts or the next home game when the New York Giants arrive in Landover in week five remains to be seen.
Veteran Marcus Mariota is expected to start in week three, one season after he appeared in 11 games as Daniels battled through injuries.
Yet Daniels is not the only one expected to be unavailable on Sunday after general manager Adam Peters noted that tight end Chig Okonkwo, linebacker Frankie Luvu and right guard Sam Cosmi are long shots to suit up against the Seahawks. Cosmi suffered a concussion in the closing minutes of the week two loss, while this marks the second consecutive missed game for both Okonkwo and Luvu. Quinn already ruled out starting safety Nick Cross earlier in the week after he suffered an internal injury against the Cowboys that led him to be hospitalized then discharged the following day, dealing a heavy dose of the injury bug to a team that saw it derail the 2025 season.
Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw was also a limited participant in practice on both Wednesday and Thursday with uncertainty about his status ahead of kickoff.
The Commanders will host the Seahawks on Sunday, Sept. 27 for a 1 PM kickoff for the 2026 home opener.
