Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels dislocated his left elbow during Sunday’s 37-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, creating another major injury question around the franchise quarterback and the same elbow that derailed much of his 2025 season.
Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed after the game that the elbow was dislocated but that initial testing showed no fracture. Washington still needs additional evaluation to determine whether there is ligament damage and whether surgery will be necessary, so there is not yet a reliable return timetable.
Daniels dislocated the same left elbow he injured in 2025
The injury happened on the final play of the first half with Washington at the Dallas 1-yard line. Left guard Chris Paul stepped on Daniels’ foot as the quarterback backed away from center, and Daniels tried to brace his fall with his left arm. His elbow bent awkwardly under his body weight, and he was eventually taken from the field on a cart.
Daniels was ruled out for the second half. Before the injury, he completed 11 of 17 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown while adding 69 rushing yards.
The repeat nature of the injury is the biggest concern. Daniels dislocated the same elbow against Seattle last season and later had his year shut down after a difficult return process. The Commanders ultimately avoided surgery on that 2025 injury, but Sunday’s new dislocation starts a separate medical evaluation and should not be assumed to follow the same timeline.
No fracture is encouraging, but Washington still needs answers
The absence of a fracture is the first positive piece of information, but it does not settle the severity of the injury. The next round of testing will be important for determining whether Daniels damaged ligaments or other soft tissue and whether the elbow can be treated without surgery.
That distinction will drive Washington’s Week 3 quarterback plan. The Commanders host the defending champion Seattle Seahawks next Sunday, and the team will need to know quickly whether Daniels has any realistic path to playing or whether Marcus Mariota should prepare for a full week as the starter.
Marcus Mariota is the immediate contingency
Mariota replaced Daniels after halftime and completed 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. He kept Washington competitive for stretches, but the offense is fundamentally built around Daniels’ dual-threat ability.
That dependence was already central to FSN’s preseason look at why Washington needed to prove it had built a complete team around Daniels. A second elbow dislocation puts that roster construction under an immediate stress test.
What comes next for Daniels and the Commanders
The most meaningful next update will come from advanced imaging and the team’s medical review. Washington needs clarity on three questions: whether there is ligament damage, whether surgery is required and how long Daniels is expected to be unavailable.
Until those answers arrive, any specific return date would be speculation. The confirmed facts are significant enough on their own: Daniels suffered another dislocation of his left elbow, there is no fracture on the initial evaluation, and Washington is preparing for the possibility of another absence for its starting quarterback.