Jayden Daniels’ choice to skip surgery on his dislocated left elbow is already drawing heavy second-guessing around the NFL.
The Washington Commanders quarterback hurt his elbow in Week 2 during the loss to the Dallas Cowboys, and the injury is expected to keep him out for Week 3 and likely Week 4 as well. Daniels is now planning to try to return this season without going under the knife, a route that has plenty of people in league circles uneasy.
According to Jonathan Jones of The Athletic, multiple NFL executives questioned Daniels for taking the nonsurgical path, with some viewing it as a gamble that could carry serious financial consequences down the line.
"While executives from other teams don't have access to the information Washington has, there has been skepticism across the league this week about Daniels going the nonsurgical route," Jones writes.
Surgery would likely shut Daniels down for the rest of the 2026 season, but it would also put him on track to be ready for Week 1 of the 2027 NFL season, his fourth year with the Commanders.
One executive didn’t mince words about what he would do in Daniels’ place.
"If I'm the kid, I get the surgery. I get it might put the team in a weird spot. ... I wouldn't pay him without surgery."
That same executive said he would not give Daniels a long-term extension without the operation. While that opinion did not come from anyone inside Washington, it raises a real question about how this decision could be viewed if the Commanders’ front office feels similarly.
Another executive also took issue with the timing and the risk, especially with Washington sitting at 0-2.
"him coming back early for a team that's on the fringe of making the playoffs (even if he is) 100 percent."
The Commanders will have Marcus Mariota at quarterback in Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks, and an 0-3 start is starting to look very possible.
That’s the backdrop for Daniels’ decision: a young quarterback dealing with a left elbow injury, choosing the uncertainty of a rushed return over the cleaner long-term path of surgery, all while Washington appears headed for a rough early-season hole.
Jones’ reporting makes clear that the concern isn’t limited to one or two voices. There’s real skepticism around the league about Daniels betting on a quick comeback instead of protecting his future.
Surgery would end his season, but it might also be the safer play for his long-term health. Daniels is taking the opposite route, hoping he can return before year’s end and strengthen his case for a big contract in the process.
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