Commanders’ Daniels injures left elbow against Cowboys
by Liam Griffin · The Washington TimesARLINGTON, TEXAS — Commanders fans’ recurring nightmare became a reality during Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys, as star quarterback Jayden Daniels left the game with a gnarly left elbow injury on the final play of the first half.
Washington players rallied around the third-year quarterback, who remained on the ground in obvious pain as the Cowboys left the field for the halftime break.
Washington’s medical staff carted the dual-threat quarterback — with a towel over his head — off following the injury.
On the last play of the second quarter, Daniels stumbled backward after left guard Chris Paul stepped on his foot on a called pass play. The quarterback tried to catch himself with his left arm, but his elbow failed to support his weight. Daniels threw an incompletion on the broken play before falling to the ground and calling for athletic trainers.
Cameras on the field showed the joint clearly out of place, a hard-to-watch injury for Washington’s franchise signal-caller.
Daniels was ruled out for the game before the teams returned to the field for the second half. Washington took the opening kickoff of the third quarter with a 17-10 deficit.
The play was eerily similar to the one that derailed Daniels’ 2025 campaign. Last year, during a Week 9 tilt against the Seattle Seahawks, Daniels dislocated his non-throwing elbow while scrambling toward the end zone.
Daniels was electric before the injury on Sunday. He completed 11 of 17 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown. As a runner, he posted 69 yards on seven carries — his highest rushing output since Week 17 of the 2024 season.
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Injuries have plagued the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year since his breakout campaign. The former Heisman Trophy winner played in just seven games in his sophomore season due to a series of maladies, including the dislocated elbow in Week 9 and a knee sprain in Week 2.
Daniels has not completed back-to-back games without an injury since his first NFL season. His fantastic debut season had its own issues, though they didn’t prevent him from any starts. A rib issue knocked him out of an October game against the Carolina Panthers following an awkward tackle on the opening drive.
A right hamstring issue caused him to miss the second half of his first game against the Cowboys in 2024, a Week 18 matchup that backup quarterback Marcus Mariota finished.
The Commanders did not specify the extent of Daniels’ injury on Sunday afternoon. Mariota will likely be the team’s quarterback for the foreseeable future.
Daniels was not the only member of the heralded 2024 quarterback class to go down Sunday. Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick for the Chicago Bears that season, left a 9-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings with a hamstring injury.
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Williams, like Daniels, was carted off the field. Bears coach Ben Johnson said the passer was “in good spirits,” and the franchise would know more about the injury on Monday.
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