The Washington Commanders will host the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks at Northwest Stadium this week without star quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Daniels suffered a dislocated left elbow during the team’s Week 2 loss against the Dallas Cowboys. It was the same injury he endured last season that kept him out for roughly a month.
The team revealed this week that Daniels, along with the doctors who diagnosed the injury, decided that he would not undergo surgery at this time, which could speed up the process of his return.
Commanders Get Return Timeline on Daniels
On Sunday, prior to the Commanders’ matchup against Seattle, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport gave a clear timeline for when Daniels could return to the field.
“We’ll start with Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, dealing with a dislocated left elbow. He is out for today’s game. Marcus Mariota starts. He did get some good news after several opinions and consulting with experts,” Rapoport said. “My understanding that he is expedited back at three weeks or sooner. They’re going to put a brace on that elbow, but he should be back with the Commanders, no IR there. That is excellent news.”
From @NFLGameDay Morning: #Commanders QB Jayden Daniels should be back within 3 weeks; #Bears QB Caleb Williams has a Grade 2 hamstring strain; The #Vikings start Kyler Murray today. pic.twitter.com/8cpo3DyXwg
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 27, 2026
Looking at the Commanders
Washington is in a very tough spot despite the optimistic news on Daniels entering Week 3.
They already sit at 0-2, and both losses came against division opponents, which magnifies those losses even more. Now, to avoid starting the year 0-3, they’ll have to try to beat a juggernaut of a Seahawks team, which will be a tall task with a backup quarterback behind center.
That said, Mariota played quite well during the second half against Dallas last week, completing 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards and one touchdown.
Commanders Get Jayden Daniels Return Timeline Before Seahawks Game