Things took an absolute turn for the worse in Week 2 of the NFL season for the Washington Commanders.
Right before halftime, in a matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, Commanders star quarterback Jayden Daniels went down with what looked like a gruesome elbow injury.
He received help from several trainers, had his arm placed in an air cast, and was ultimately carted off the field before the Commanders ruled him out shortly after.
While it’s obviously a serious injury and he’ll likely miss a significant amount of time, there may be some light at the end of the tunnel for Daniels and the Commanders.
Longtime Sports Doctor Gives Optimistic Update on Daniels
After the injury occurred, longtime sports doctor David J. Chao, also known as Pro Football Doc, believes the injury is not season-ending. Chao previously served as an NFL head team doctor for more than 17 years.
“The final play before half. Jayden Daniels goes down.. injures his left elbow. By video, it is a redislocation of his left elbow,” Chao said. “Same injury he had last year. When you dislocate your elbow, remember he recovered, but the ligament remains looser and torn. No surgery on it.
“X-Rays will be negative… and he likely will miss some time. When he does return, he can return this season with a brace,” he added. “But because it’s come out a second time, they may think about repairing the ligament to prevent this elbow from coming out so easily again. Recovery is quicker than the first time, but it could be a reoccurring problem for the Washington Commanders quarterback.”
Ruled OUT now
Scary looking injury
Re-injury is never good
But season not over
Can return more quickly than people think with a brace https://t.co/hxaVDyM3TY— David J. Chao – ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) September 20, 2026
Looking at the Commanders
With Daniels likely sidelined for quite some time, veteran Marcus Mariota will step into the starting role, and at the very least, he brings plenty of experience.
Mariota took a large portion of the snaps last season when Daniels missed time with an injury.
Washington is now 0-2 on the season, and the schedule won’t get any easier as the Commanders host the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in Week 3.
Jayden Daniels, Commanders Get Optimistic Injury Update From Longtime Sports Doctor