Commanders give significant injury update on QB Jayden Daniels

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Commanders give significant injury update on QB Jayden Daniels

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Sep 21, 2026 8:03 AM ET

The Washington Commanders didn't just lose to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday; they lost their starting quarterback to an ugly left elbow injury that knocked him out of the game just before halftime.

Head coach Dan Quinn was able to offer a small update following the game, and it doesn't sound promising for the team.

Commanders expect Jayden Daniels to miss time

Quinn announced that Daniels suffered another dislocated left elbow and that the team is preparing to spend some time playing without their quarterback.

There is an emphasis on "another" elbow dislocation, because Daniels also missed time in 2025 due to the exact same injury.

#Commanders coach Dan Quinn said QB Jayden Daniels suffered another dislocated left elbow, and he is expected to miss time. X-Rays were negative.

The last time he had this injury, he missed about a month. pic.twitter.com/0lLwvQXAzz
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 21, 2026

When Daniels suffered that dislocated elbow in Week 9 of the 2025 season, he missed a little more than a month before briefly returning to the team's lineup later in the season. But when he re-aggravated the injury following his return, the Commanders ended his season. He played in just seven games for the Commanders, and his absence played a significant role in the team going from the NFC Championship to entirely out of the playoffs in just one year.

Now they are 0-2, missing their quarterback and facing the prospect of a brutal start to the 2026 season that might put them into a situation that is too difficult to climb out of.

Through the first six quarters of this season, Daniels was looking a lot like the quarterback Washington saw during his magical 2024 rookie season and was giving them a chance to compete against two top NFC East teams (Dallas this week; the Philadelphia Eagles a week ago).

Now, they are going to have to try and compete for at least a few weeks with backup Marcus Mariota.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on X @AGretz

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