This can’t be happening, right?
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was carted off the field at AT&T Stadium following a gruesome arm injury against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
Daniels suffered the injury right before halftime and provoked an explicit response from Fox Sports color commentator and 7-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady.
“Oh (expletive),” Brady said as the injury was replayed.
“Commanders now have ruled out QB Jayden Daniels with a left elbow injury,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account. “The last time he had a left elbow injury he missed four games.”
Daniels, the 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, missed 10 games due to injuries in 2025 as the Commanders went from a 12-5 record in 2024 to a 5-12 record in 2025.
“Jayden Daniels appears to have re-dislocated his left elbow again here after getting his ankle stepped on by his LG,” Dr. Jesse Morse wrote on his official X account. “This is the same elbow his dislocated in 2025 causing him to miss 3 games and then reinjured and missed the final 4 games of the season.”
“Jayden Daniels is being carted off after a devastating left arm injury,” The Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris wrote on his official X account.
Daniels hasn’t completed a game in 3 career starts at AT&T Stadium.
Commanders Shut Daniels Down Late in 2025 Season
The Commanders officially shut down Daniel for the final 3 games of the 2025 regular season on Monday, December 15, ending a nightmare season in which their star player and his team fell woefully short of expectations from the start.
Daniels’ 2025 season will officially go in the books with him missing 10 games due to a variety of injuries; a sprained knee, pulled hamstring and dislocated left elbow, which he re-injured in a Week 14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
“Sources: The Commanders have decided to shut down QB Jayden Daniels for the final 3 games, turning his focus to supporting Marcus Mariota,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on X. “Daniels was re-evaluated today & not yet cleared. With him expected to be medically ruled out vs. the Eagles, then facing a short week vs. the Cowboys on Christmas, the final decision was made today.”
Quickly Established Himself as One of NFL’s Best
The Commanders selected Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft after he won the Heisman Trophy at LSU in 2023.
Coming off a 4-13 season in 2023 and with a new head coach in Dan Quinn and new general manager in Adam Peters, the Commanders watched Daniels not just become the NFL’s best rookie quarterback but one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks.
Daniels went 12-5 as a rookie, setting an NFL rookie quarterback rushing record with 891 yards and 6 touchdowns while throwing for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He capped his year by leading the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991, being named a Pro Bowler and earning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Daniels’ injury-riddled 2025 season saw him go 2-5 as the starter.
“Jayden Daniels over five seasons as a collegiate QB1 played in 55 of a possible 57 games,” podcast host Al Galdi wrote on X. “He last season played in all 20 of Washington’s regular-season and postseason games. His overall track record is one of durability. Hopefully this season is just an outlier.”
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels Carted Off After Gruesome Injury