The Washington Commanders are coming off a massive Week 3 victory, beating the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks 33-31 to earn their first win of the season.
They also did it without star quarterback Jayden Daniels, who sustained a dislocated elbow, the same injury he suffered last season, during Washington’s Week 2 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Many initially believed Daniels would miss a significant amount of time. After consulting with doctors and specialists over the last week or so, Daniels will not undergo surgery, his X-rays came back clean, and the Commanders did not place him on IR.
Commanders Announce Update on Daniels
On Wednesday, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn spoke to the media and provided a clear update on Daniels’ status ahead of Week 4’s matchup against the Indianapolis Colts in London. Daniels will travel with the team regardless of whether he suits up.
Quinn revealed that Daniels will participate in limited practice this week, a good sign that he’s trending in the right direction. The Commanders plan to decide Friday whether he will play after evaluating his performance in practice and how his elbow responds.
“Today will be more of a jog format, but if it had been a full practice it would have been limited,” Quinn said.
Dan Quinn said Jayden Daniels will practice. Today will be more of a jog-through. Quinn said if it were a normal practice, Daniels would be limited.
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) September 30, 2026
Daniels Will Wear Brace on Elbow
After determining that Daniels will not undergo surgery to repair the ligament in his elbow, which likely would have lengthened his absence significantly, the Commanders plan to have him wear a brace on the elbow when he returns this season.
The brace should help prevent the elbow from popping out of place again.
Marcus Mariota Will Start if Daniels Can’t Go
As expected, if Daniels misses Sunday’s game, veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota will once again draw the start after a tremendous outing against Seattle.
He completed 19-of-31 passes for 183 yards and three touchdowns while committing zero turnovers.
Commanders Announce Jayden Daniels Injury Update Ahead of Colts Game