Jayden Daniels injury update: Commanders QB carted off after suffering serious elbow injury vs Cowboys - Here's what we know so far

Jayden Daniels’ exciting night came to an abrupt end Sunday night, as the Washington Commanders’ QB went down with a serious elbow injury late in the first half of the game against the Dallas Cowboys. Daniels was attempting to make a play in the Cowboys’ red zone when he slipped after taking the snap from center and put his left arm out to brace himself during his fall. He was in clear pain and was eventually taken off the field on a cart. This was even more worrying considering that Daniels had injured his other elbow in the same manner last season. The Washington Commanders made the decision to sideline him for the remainder of the game, with Marcus Mariota filling in as the team’s starting quarterback.


Daniels got hurt during the last play of the first half. Daniels tripped while Washington was trying to make a score from just in front of the goal line. The pass he tried to make did not succeed because he had tripped and fell and ended up hurting his left arm. Medical personnel quickly came to attend to him, and he left the playing area on a cart.



Commanders coach Dan Quinn confirmed after the game that Daniels suffered a dislocated left elbow. Initial X-rays did not show a fracture. Daniels was expected to travel home with the team and undergo additional imaging to determine the full extent of the injury.

"Once I know an update that we can move forward with then I’ll give you that," Quinn said as quoted by NFL. "Man, are we bummed for him. He was really playing his ass off. We will rally so hard around Marcus (Mariota) until Jayden’s back. That’s what we talked about as a team.”

Before leaving the game, Daniels was able to complete 11 out of 17 passes for 96 yards with one touchdown. He also ran for seven times gaining 69 yards, which indicates his running capability which has long been a significant part of his game.

Daniels suffered a dislocation on his left elbow while playing in the 2025 season against the Seattle Seahawks. As a result, he had to miss the next three matches and later suffered a setback due to that injury. The Commanders will now wait for further medical tests before determining his recovery timeline.

Daniels burst onto the NFL scene in 2024, leading Washington on an unexpected run to the NFC Championship Game while earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. The second year of Daniels was much harder for him and for the Commanders team. In his sophomore year, he could play only seven matches because he got injured quite often. He had a knee sprain, a hamstring injury, and in November he even injured his elbow.