Jayden Daniels is back on the practice field with a large brace on his left arm, and the Washington quarterback is moving faster than he did the last time he dealt with an elbow issue.
The brace is part of the plan for the rest of the season. Daniels said he’ll wear it all year after suffering another elbow dislocation in a Week 2 loss at Dallas, on top of the one he dealt with last year.
He said the turnaround this time has come after conversations with medical professionals about whether surgery made sense during the season. For now, he passed on that option.
“I love football. I play football,” Daniels told on-site reporters in a Thursday press conference leading into Sunday’s game against the Colts in London.
“I get paid to play football, so ... With all my teammates, everybody’s hurting.
For me, just being a leader and a guy to go out there and give it my (best) shot to go out there and play. I need to protect myself and stuff like that.
I just love football. I have a passion for it.”
The door on surgery isn’t closed forever. Daniels said the question of whether he’ll have it after the season is still unresolved, with that decision coming later.
His status for Sunday remains open, though there is a real chance he could play against the Colts. If he doesn’t, veteran backup Marcus Mariota is also an option.
Daniels said the brace limits how much he can fully extend his arm, but he made it clear there was no talk of using it simply as a precaution. He also said there will be an “adjustment period” as he gets used to it, though it does not affect how he throws or his throwing motion.
He doesn’t sound rattled by the injury, either. Daniels said he isn’t afraid of another dislocation and believes he’s on track for a quick return.
“Everything I went through, everyone said I’d be good to go,” Daniels said. “But, right now, I’m just taking it day by day.”
In Other News...
Commanders Suddenly Have A Bigger QB Question Than They Wanted
Marcus Mariotas relief turn against the Seahawks did more than steady the Commanders for a week. It also put him in the same conversation Jayden Daniels had been owning all season, as Mariota was voted FedEx Air Player of the Week after stepping in for the injured rookie and helping keep Washington on track.
Mariota completed 19 passes for 183 yards and 3 touchdowns with a 110.0 passer rating, and he even added a key rushing first down late in the game. Daniels had already won the same award three times during his rookie season, which is what makes this latest honor feel a little more complicated for Washington as it waits to see how the quarterback picture settles going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders May Have Found The Protection Answer Jayden Daniels Needed
Against a tough Seattle front, the Commanders offensive line turned in one of its more encouraging outings of the season, keeping Jayden Daniels upright and giving the offense a fighting chance. Washington allowed only two sacks and handled the pass rush well enough that the game never felt like it was slipping away because of protection issues, which has been a real concern at times this year.
The improvement came from a mix of schematic tweaks and cleaner individual work up front, and that combination mattered against a defense built to punish mistakes. For a team trying to maximize Daniels impact, Sunday offered at least a glimpse of a more workable formula, even if the bigger question is whether Washington can make that level of protection hold up once opponents have more film on it. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Suddenly Have A Good Problem After That Brutal Start
A 0-2 start and the loss of Jayden Daniels to a dislocated elbow could have sent Washington spiraling, but the Commanders steadied themselves with an upset win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3. The result did more than stop the bleeding. It gave a battered roster and coaching staff a reason to exhale a little, especially with the bye week arriving at a time when the team still has plenty of fixing to do.
K'Lavon Chaisson and Javon Kinlaw have been part of the early lift, with Chaisson flashing off the edge with a sack and several pressures, while Kinlaw has fit well into the defensive line under the new scheme. For a team that spent the opening weeks looking like it might be headed for a long season, those are the kinds of developments that matter, because they suggest Washington may have more functional pieces than the record initially showed. The bigger question now is whether that momentum can survive the injuries and the break in the schedule. [Read more 🡒]