Jayden Daniels’ elbow injury: Answering the most pressing questions

ASHBURN, Va. — With seven minutes and 39 seconds left and down 38-7 to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night, the Washington Commanders’ ugly season got a whole lot worse: Quarterback Jayden Daniels was lying on the ground, in pain, after suffering a dislocated elbow when he was sacked.

As Daniels, the franchise’s present and future hope for success and the player who led Washington to its first NFC Championship Game appearance since the 1991 season, slowly left the field with his injured arm in a cast, the inevitable questions began: Why? What now? What more can go wrong?

«Gut-wrenching,» Washington guard Sam Cosmi said.

«Distraught,» tight end Zach Ertz said.

The Commanders (3-6) have been devastated by injuries and player absences since training camp opened. In fact, Daniels and the entire starting offense has not been together since the NFC divisional playoff win against the Detroit Lions in January.

But Daniels and the Commanders now have the aforementioned questions to answer, plus a few more that project into the future: What does his recovery look like? What can they do to help him in the future? Why was he still in the game? How does the injury affect Washington’s offseason plans?

ESPN Commanders reporter John Keim, senior writer and injury analyst Stephania Bell, senior NFL insider Dan Graziano, analytics writer Seth Walder and draft analyst Jordan Reid answer all the pressing questions surrounding Daniels’ injury.

What is a dislocated elbow? What’s the usual timetable for recovery, and are there special considerations for QBs?

In the elbow, there are three bones that make up the joint: the arm bone (humerus) and the two forearm bones (radius, on the lateral or outer side; and the ulna, on the medial or inner side). As with any joint, the bony surfaces are lined with cartilage and the entire joint is covered by a fibrous capsule, which is reinforced by stabilizing ligaments.

A dislocation describes a joint that has exceeded its normal range of motion such that the bones are no longer in their normal position, often creating the physical deformity that is so jarring to the eye. It is also extremely painful as multiple structures can be stretched or torn as the bones sit out of alignment. The course of treatment and the recovery timeline are dependent on the extent of trauma created during the dislocation event.

If the dislocation pushes a bone through the skin (termed an «open dislocation»), the open wound must be addressed as quickly as possible to try to mitigate any risk of infection. Assuming no open wound, the questions are whether or not there is a fracture present, whether the joint can be satisfactorily reduced (returned to its normal position) and what is the extent of soft tissue damage (most notably ligaments and capsule). If there is an open wound, if the joint cannot be reduced (because something is blocking it post-dislocation) or if a major ligament repair is required, surgery becomes necessary.

If there is no wound, no fracture, the joint is reduced and stable, and no major ligament repair is required, the treatment early on is to support the arm in a sling or brace to allow the elbow inflammation to subside and the soft tissues to heal. Range of motion of the wrist and hand and the shoulder can begin fairly quickly afterward and as the elbow heals, that joint can be specifically addressed as well. As is the case with most courses of physical therapy, the goal is progressive range of motion and strengthening until the arm is restored to its pre-injury level of function.

Conservative (nonsurgical) treatment often requires approximately six to eight weeks of recovery, a timeline that is highly individualized depending on the athlete and his history along with the demands of the sport and the seasonal calendar. In surgical cases, the progression is dependent on the specifics of the surgery and the timeline would be adjusted outward accordingly.

For a quarterback, this injury would be far more concerning if it were the throwing elbow. A few degrees of loss of range of motion if the elbow were to heal a bit stiff could dramatically alter throwing mechanics. Any residual mild instability related to ligament trauma could also alter throwing mechanics and performance. Any associated cartilage injury could result in arthritic changes in the joint that, even if slow progressing, could alter the trajectory of a thrower’s career. Given the above, an injury that might be permitted to heal on its own with rest, immobilization and progressive physical therapy on a non-throwing arm might be managed differently (i.e., surgery to repair a torn ligament) in a throwing arm. — Bell

Since it’s his non-throwing arm, could Daniels return sooner than expected?

Here is where it gets tricky and all of the factors that make an athlete’s case unique to him come into play. Generally speaking, yes, in the case of the non-throwing arm an athlete could potentially return before full healing while wearing a protective brace. For an injury to the throwing arm, that is obviously not an option. But beyond the ability to potentially return sooner with an injury to a non-throwing arm, questions remain as to whether the athlete can still effectively play the position as well as what the larger goals are for the athlete and the organization, both within the current season and beyond.

In the case of Daniels, consider that he has already missed two games due to a left knee sprain and another game due to a right hamstring strain. Even though he recovered to the point of returning to play from each lower extremity injury, it is a discussion point when examining the cumulative toll of the season. Then there is the seasonal calendar. The final week of the regular season is the first week in January and, as of now, the Commanders do not appear to be destined for postseason competition. At the point where Daniels is approaching a return to play healthwise, where does the team stand relative to the seasonal calendar? And lastly, there is no arguing that Daniels, as a quarterback, plays one of the most critical positions on the team, all while being the face of the franchise. As such, his value at full health is extremely high.

Return to play decisions, particularly in-season (or even entering a new season when coming off season-ending surgery) are always risk-versus-reward calculations. While nothing is guaranteed, it is up to all the decision-makers, including the athlete, to arrive at the best decision for an optimal strategy that takes the long term into account. — Bell

How will the Commanders adjust to being without Daniels?

Marcus Mariota will replace Daniels, as he has already for three games this season. Mariota, the second overall pick in 2015, has started three games and replaced Daniels in two others. In those games, Mariota has completed 56 of 88 passes for 639 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions.

He’s more comfortable operating the no-huddle at a quicker pace and has excelled at times in the run-pass option game. Washington also calls more designed runs for Mariota, whereas Daniels has been considered more dangerous as a scrambler.

The Commanders are 1-2 in Mariota’s starts and lost both times he had to replace Daniels.

But it’s hard for Washington to adjust given their lack of offensive weapons. Of the top four receivers entering the season, only one — Deebo Samuel — will likely be available when Washington hosts Detroit Sunday, and the Commanders could have three receivers active who either opened the year on the practice squad or were added in-season.

They also can’t run the ball. Washington’s running backs rank 30th in the past four weeks, averaging 66.8 yards per game, and rank 25th in yards per carry at 3.7.

Mariota had a lot more success taking over for Daniels in 2024. He subbed for an injured Daniels twice and led Washington to wins each time. In those games he completed 33 of 41 passes for 366 yards, with four touchdowns and no interceptions. But he was working with a much healthier offense.

That’s not the case this time. Until they get Terry McLaurin back from his quad injury or even Noah Brown, who will be on injured reserve until at least next week, then the offense just lacks pop. And the defense has regressed — in the past five weeks Washington ranks 31st in yards per game and yards per play.

Punter Tress Way said last season the Commanders learned that with Daniels they were never out of a game. But this season, it’s a bleak outlook no matter who’s at quarterback. — Keim

It was a question asked multiple times after the game to coach Dan Quinn. He did not say why Daniels was still in the game, but Quinn did say he wasn’t «at that space» to take him out. Quinn said they were «more conservative in that spot to run and hand off.»

The drive began with 12 minutes, 30 seconds left in the game. Washington ran nine plays before Daniels was injured, with four runs and five passes — he was in danger of being hit one time and scrambled to his left to avoid pressure.

The speculation stems from a quarterback who has lost snaps this season after missing three games with injuries. It could be that Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury wanted Daniels to get more work; Seattle also did not have many of its starters still in the game. Following that thinking, they likely wanted the offense to finish on a stronger note in an attempt to build momentum for future games.

In Daniels’ first game as a rookie, Washington finished with a late touchdown drive in a 37-20 loss. Rather than take him out, the Commanders put him back out with 3:29 to play. They scored a touchdown and, in ensuing weeks, the offense soared. In the 2024 regular-season finale, Quinn pulled Daniels at halftime of a game vs. Dallas. Daniels was not effective in the first half and Quinn said he had «mild leg soreness.» They also had clinched a playoff berth by that point and he was pressured on 37.5% of his dropbacks (fourth most of the season) and sacked four times in the first half. Washington won the game on a last-second Mariota touchdown pass and Daniels flourished in the postseason.

Those who wanted Daniels pulled Sunday night can point to this: He was pressured by Seattle on a career-high 51% of his dropbacks — and 61% in the second half — according to ESPN Research. On the fateful play, after Daniels opted not to hand the ball to running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., a defensive end was immediately in his face, prompting him to try and run to the right. He had two receivers to that side, but by the time they broke, Daniels was in scramble mode. He failed to outrun linebacker Drake Thomas. It led to the injury and a question that will be asked for many months. — Keim

How concerning is his recent injury history, and will the injury affect how Washington views Daniels long term?

It’s concerning because he has now left two games this season due to injury and suffered another one in a third that sidelined him two games. Last season he broke a rib, but he did not miss any games; he also left the regular-season finale but that was with «mild leg soreness» which did not impact him in the playoffs.

But this year has been concerning because two of the injuries occurred when scrambling (one was in the pocket vs. a free blitzer). His ability to make plays with his arm or legs turned him into the second overall pick in 2024. As a rookie, he rushed for 891 yards and six touchdowns and led the NFL with 70 scrambles for 570 yards.

Quinn did say earlier this season that «the only thing worse than missing games is not taking the lessons from there. And as a scramble goes, when do I get down? When do I get out of bounds? And so, Jayden’s still growing too. Like we feel like he’s been playing for a while and so he’s, as he’s into his second year there’s still things that he’s growing on too.»

But because they know Daniels also makes big plays with his legs — Quinn called him a game changer before the draft — it shouldn’t alter how they view him. — Keim

Does this affect how Washington builds its team going forward?

It should impact how the Commanders build around him. Washington has invested in its offensive line — trading a net of three draft picks for left tackle Laremy Tunsil, drafting right tackle Josh Conerly in the first round, signing right guard Sam Cosmi to an extension before the 2024 season, and signing center Tyler Biadasz in free agency. They also drafted Brandon Coleman in the third round in 2024, but he was benched in favor of Chris Paul after Week 2.

But they need more playmakers around him. Once McLaurin was hurt (quad), Washington lost any chance for a consistent deep passing attack. The Commanders drafted Luke McCaffrey in the third round in 2024 and Jaylin Lane in the fourth round in April and traded for Samuel. However, without McLaurin, Washington has faced a steady diet of man coverage because opposing defenses don’t fear the wideouts and have focused on stopping the run.

Washington needs more high-end offensive skill talent — even when McLaurin returns, and particularly in 2025 — to make sure this doesn’t happen more in the future. The Commanders also need to develop a consistent rushing attack.

Simply put, they need more offensive weapons — receivers, tight ends or backs — capable of consistently beating man coverage. That would force defenses into different looks while also giving Daniels the ability to get rid of the ball quicker and therefore scramble less. — Keim

Could the Commanders add a QB before the deadline, or are they comfortable with Mariota and Josh Johnson?

If we learn Daniels is out for a significant period of time — like the rest of the season — I could see them adding a quarterback just so they have more than two. But that doesn’t have to be via a trade, and I don’t believe this is a Jake Browning/Cincinnati situation where Washington feels it needs an upgrade at the starting QB spot. The Commanders have full belief in Mariota’s ability to run their offense. Players on that team have told me on multiple occasions that they believe Mariota to be one of the top 32 quarterbacks in the league and that they see themselves as having two starting QBs with Daniels and Mariota.

So while, yes, the Commanders are likely to want to add a QB to their room if Daniels is out for a long while, I don’t think they’ll suddenly be elevating it to the top of their pre-deadline priority list. This team has other issues, especially on defense, that it would need to address if it decided to be in the business of trading picks for players here in the next day and a half. — Graziano