Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a dislocated left elbow during a 37-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, according to head coach Dan Quinn. The injury occurred on the final play of the first half when left guard Chris Paul stepped on Daniels’ foot as the quarterback backed away from center. Daniels fell and attempted to brace himself with his left arm, causing his non-throwing elbow to bend the wrong way as an incomplete pass fell to the turf.
Jayden Daniels Suffers Dislocated Left Elbow in Commanders Loss
Medical staff evaluated Daniels on the field before he was carted to the locker room with his left arm in an air cast and a towel draped over his head. The Commanders ruled him out after halftime, and veteran backup Marcus Mariota took over at quarterback. Quinn told reporters that initial X-rays showed no fracture, and Daniels planned to travel back home with the team to undergo additional imaging tests.
Echoes of Last Season’s Injury
The latest setback comes less than a year after Daniels sustained a similar injury to the same non-throwing arm. Daniels missed all but one game in the second half of the previous season after dislocating his left elbow during a November blowout loss to Seattle, an absence that followed earlier issues with a knee and hamstring during his NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign.
Before exiting the game against Dallas, Daniels kept the Commanders close using his mobility, recording an 18-yard scramble, a 20-yard run, and a 4-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs. He finished the contest going 11 of 17 for 96 yards passing while adding 69 rushing yards on seven carries.
Team Response and Aggressive Play-Calling
Quinn defended the decision to run an aggressive play from the 1-yard line with three seconds remaining in the second half rather than kick a field goal.
I don’t regret that call,
Quinn told reporters. Obviously any time someone’s injured you play the ‘what if’ game. I don’t think this is one of those times for me. I hate that it happened. … I wasn’t hesitant about going into that spot. We’re going to be aggressive in this game against their offense.
Teammates expressed dismay over the injury to their starting quarterback. Running back Rachaad White, a longtime friend of Daniels, noted he had tears coming down upon seeing the incident. Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota acknowledged the emotional toll on the team, stating that the player had battled through immense challenges.
It sucks, and you can’t even really put it into words,
Mariota said. You watch that kid battle through all that he’d been through last year, just very, very unfortunate. … He’s got an incredible support system. We’re gonna do everything we can to get him back and get him right.
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin added that the injury took the air out of the team temporarily, while center Nick Allegretti noted that Daniels remained optimistic when they spoke after the game. Quinn confirmed that the team intends to rally around Mariota until Daniels is cleared to return.
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