The doomsday scenario for the Washington Commanders occurred in Week 2 versus the Dallas Cowboys. Quarterback Jayden Daniels left on a cart and appears to have a serious elbow injury.
In the violent game of football, injuries happen. But CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan argued Commanders head coach Dan Quinn should have done a better job of protecting Daniels in the scenario where he suffered his latest setback.
“The Commanders left the offense on the field for a third-and-goal attempt with just three seconds left in the half,” wrote Sullivan. “Upon taking the snap, Daniels was stepped on by one of his offensive linemen, and then put his arm down to try and keep himself upright. That’s when his elbow bent awkwardly; he threw the ball incomplete and was eventually carted off the field.
“Given that the Commanders were getting the ball coming out of halftime, it’s fair to criticize Dan Quinn for having Daniels on the field for that play in the first place. They could’ve simply kicked the field goal to put points on the board, made it a 17-13 deficit, and looked to gain the lead with a scoring drive to begin the third.”
Daniels dealt with several injuries during his second NFL season last year, one of which was a left dislocated elbow. The quarterback suffered that injury during Week 9 versus the Seattle Seahawks.
Daniels returned in Week 14 but exited that game after landing on his left elbow. Quinn told reporters after Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys the quarterback suffered the same injury in Week 2.
Dan Quinn Expresses No Regrets Over Jayden Daniels Injury
Hindsight is always 20/20. Of course if Quinn had a magic crystal ball to help him know Daniels was about to get hurt, he would have sent the field-goal unit out for the final play of the first half Sunday.
But against the Cowboys, his offense needed more points. He was right, as the Commanders yielded 37 in the loss.
Because Washington didn’t score and Daniels suffered his injury, it’s easy to second guess. But Quinn told reporters after the game he had no regrets about his decision to have the offense on the field at the end of the first half.
“Looking back on it, at the one-yard line, we need touchdowns. I don’t regret the call,” Quinn said in his postgame press conference. “Anytime someone’s injured, you play the what-if game. I don’t think this is one of those times for me.”
Quinn stressed that he hated that the injury occurred. But he continued to stand by his decision of trying to score a touchdown.
“I wasn’t hesitant about going into that spot; I thought we were going to be aggressive in this game against their offense. Obviously the outcome sucks, but it wasn’t a what-if, or wish I had done something differently.”
How Do Commanders Replace Daniels?
Daniels has now dislocated his left elbow twice in the past year. While it’s his non-throwing elbow, it’s still obviously alarming the Commanders quarterback is dealing with the same ailment again.
The good news, though, is Daniels’ elbow is not broken.
“[Jayden] did injure his left elbow,” Quinn told reporters.“It was a dislocation. X-Rays showed no fracture. He’ll travel back with the team, more imaging tomorrow.”
The Commanders could know more as early as Monday morning. But for now, the team will have to rally around backup Marcus Mariota, as it did in the second half Sunday.
Mariota went 2-6 as a starter for Washington last season. He completed 61.2% of his passes for 1,695 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Mariota also averaged 7.5 yards per attempt.
Even with more testing coming, it seems very unlikely Daniels will start in Week 3. If he doesn’t, Mariota will make his first start of 2026 against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, who have won 12 straight games.
Commanders’ Dan Quinn Faces Criticism Over Jayden Daniels Injury