Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will sit out Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks while specialists review the results of an MRI on his dislocated left elbow, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Marcus Mariota is set to start in Daniels’ place. On the other side of the ball, Seattle is optimistic that quarterback Sam Darnold will be available for that game, though his status still depends on how he performs in practice this week.
Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Daniels underwent imaging Monday and will meet with specialists Tuesday and Wednesday before any decision is made on next steps.
“He had imaging done today,” Quinn said. “He’ll see specialists early this week, Tuesday and Wednesday, and then we’ll go through the process from there. Until we go through that process, I’d be guessing to give you any timeline.”
Quinn’s caution reflects the range of possible outcomes. The specialists could recommend a return to the same rehabilitation approach Daniels used last season, which avoided surgery, or they could determine that surgery is necessary — a step that would end his season.
Daniels dislocated the same elbow last season and chose not to have surgery in an attempt to keep playing. He missed three games while recovering, then aggravated the injury in Week 14, prompting the team to shut him down for the final four games. He ended up playing only seven of 17 games last season.
Surgery after an elbow dislocation is uncommon, but it becomes more likely when the joint cannot hold proper alignment after being manually reset, or when ligaments, tendons or the joint capsule are severely torn. The specific extent of Daniels’ injury has not been made public, so surgery has not been ruled out.
In the meantime, Washington will lean on Mariota, and possibly another quarterback, while Daniels works through his recovery. Daniels’ mobility and ability to improvise have been central to the team’s offense, and his absence adds pressure to a coaching staff trying to turn around a team that is 0-2 to start the season.
