Daniels was ruled out after sustaining the injury on the final play before halftime. The play began at Dallas’ 1-yard line with the Commanders trailing 17-10. After taking the snap, Daniels stepped back and his left foot appeared to slip when left guard Chris Paul seemed to step on him, causing Daniels to stumble. He extended his left arm to break his fall, and the elbow bent awkwardly. He managed to deliver a pass for the clock, but it fell incomplete as time expired. He briefly got to his feet and started toward the sideline before appearing to pop the elbow again as he hit the ground. Trainers attended to him before he was carted off.
Before exiting, Daniels had completed 11 of 17 passes for 96 yards and one touchdown and rushed seven times for 69 yards. Marcus Mariota came on at quarterback for the second half.
Daniels had recently returned to action after an injury-plagued 2025 season. He dislocated the same elbow in Week 9, missed three games, then returned, only for the injury to flare again in his Week 14 return, forcing him to miss the remainder of that season. This is a third blow to the same elbow, presenting a serious concern for the Commanders.
Head coach Dan Quinn acknowledged the injury, stating, “He did injure his left elbow, it was a dislocation. X-rays showed no fracture. He’ll travel back home with the team. More imaging tomorrow. I’m really bummed for him. I thought he was really playing his ass off. We will rally hard around Marcus until Jayden is back.”
In addition to Daniels, the Commanders were already dealing with other injuries heading into Week 3.
The team was without tight end Chig Okonkwo and linebacker Frankie Luvu for the matchup with Dallas. Okonkwo, dealing with a hamstring issue, did not participate in practice during the week and was unable to suit up. John Bates started at tight end with Ben Sinnott and Colson Yankoff providing depth.
Defensively, Washington used Leo Chenal and Sonny Styles at linebacker in place of Luvu and elevated Ale Kaho from the practice squad to help bolster the depth at that position.
Offensive lineman Sam Cosmi also exited the game with a concussion after a collision with running back Kaytron Allen in the final drive, adding to Washington’s injury woes.
Other players were listed with ongoing concerns, including Javon Kinlaw with a back issue, Dorance Armstrong and K’Lavon Chaisson managing knee problems, Jaylin Lane with a groin injury, Charles Omenihu dealing with an ankle issue, and Odafe Oweh limited by a calf problem.
With Daniels’ status uncertain and a lengthy injury list looming, Washington must regroup quickly as they prepare for their next opponent, the Seahawks.
