The Washington Commanders lost 37-20 to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday afternoon to drop to 0-2 on the season.
However, the biggest storyline from the game came on the final play of the first half when Commanders star quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a dislocated left elbow, the same injury that happened to him last season.
Daniels was in obvious pain as several trainers surrounded him before putting his arm in an air cast and carting him off the field.
Dan Quinn Provides Postgame Update on Daniels
After the loss, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn revealed that Daniels did sustain a dislocated left elbow, but the X-rays came back negative, meaning there was no fracture.
“We’ll start with what we know. With Jayden, he did injure his left elbow,” Quinn said. “It was a dislocation. X-Rays showed no fracture. He’ll travel back with the team, more imaging tomorrow… Man, are we bummed for him… and we will rally so hard around Marcus [Mariota].”
#Commanders HC Dan Quinn confirms it is a left elbow dislocation, no fracture. More imaging coming later this week.
“Man are we bummed for him. I thought he was really playing his ass off. We will rally so hard around Marcus until Jayden is back.”
Tough day to be a Washington… pic.twitter.com/IlVlbPtL5F
— SleeperCommanders (@SleeperWSH) September 21, 2026
Robert Griffin III Shares Reaction to Injury
If anybody can relate to Daniels, it’s former NFL star QB Robert Griffin III, who spent three seasons with Washington after the team drafted him with the second overall pick in 2012.
Like Daniels, Griffin won Offensive Rookie of the Year and earned a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie. After that, injuries quickly derailed his career, and he ended up playing only seven NFL seasons when it was all said and done.
“What’s up ya’ll. I’m out here on a bike ride and I just wanted to say prayers up to Jayden Daniels,” Griffin III said in a post on X. “Injuries suck and there’s not really much anybody can do. Sometimes things just don’t go your way. But I will say that the one thing we can’t do is try to drag this dude the mud or get his sprits down. Lift him up… and just hope for the best. The team obviously needs him to be out there to be successful. At the end of the day football really isn’t even really what’s on the mind.
“He was balling today and then something fluky happens,” he added. “Just lift him up… The Washington Commanders should have him for 15+ years as the franchise quarterback and I just don’t want all these injuries to take a toll on him mentally, let alone physically.”
Robert Griffin III Makes Honest Statement on Jayden Daniels’ Gruesome Injury