Elbow surgery 'not on the table' for QB Jayden Daniels right now, Commanders GM Adam Peters says

Elbow surgery is "not on the table" at the moment for Jayden Daniels , and the Washington Commanders haven't discussed placing the third-year quarterback on injured reserve, general manager Adam Peters said Friday morning during an appearance on 106.7 The Fan in Washington.

But, as was the case that time, Daniels didn't sustain a fracture to his non-throwing arm. He missed four weeks, yet only three games, last season while nursing his dislocated left elbow. That said, he re-injured himself in his first game back , while running to make a tackle after throwing an interception in Week 14 versus the Minnesota Vikings and then was shut down for the remainder of the 2025 campaign.

Daniels had been meeting with specialists to learn more about his injury this week . On Friday, Peters told "The Junkies" on 106.7 The Fan that Daniels returned Thursday night.

"The guys are meeting with him this morning, and we met with doctors, like we said, all over the country, and it was very thorough, and we really got a lot of good opinions," Peters said. "So now it's just a matter of sitting down and thinking about what the best course of action is. But, as of right now, surgery is not on the table, and we haven't discussed IR. So it's just a matter of how we're going to get him back on the field, and that's still to be determined."

"The guys are meeting with him this morning, and we met with doctors, like we said, all over the country, and it was very thorough, and we really got a lot of good opinions," Peters said.

"So now it's just a matter of sitting down and thinking about what the best course of action is. But, as of right now, surgery is not on the table, and we haven't discussed IR. So it's just a matter of how we're going to get him back on the field, and that's still to be determined."

That evaluation hints that Daniels will be back out there within four weeks, considering that landing on IR costs a player a minimum of four games.

Not long after Peters' appearance on 106.7 The Fan, ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Friday that Daniels won't be placed on IR and will be considered "week-to-week."

Although the 25-year-old Daniels has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Seahawks, Washington is hoping the 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year comes back as soon as possible.

Daniels will wear a brace over his left elbow, according to The MMQB's Albert Breer, who also reported Friday that, because the Commanders are traveling overseas for their Week 4 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts , they'll be leaving on Tuesday night for that trip to London, meaning they'll have to decide imminently if Daniels is joining them.

Regarding Daniels' timeline, Peters was asked on 106.7 The Fan if it comes down to Daniels making the call.

"You're always going to lean on your medical team on that, and it's a medical decision," Peters said . "Every injury is different. And so some of it's you're unable to play, some of it's there's a ramp-up period or a return-to-play timeline. "And then a lot of it's just, on some injuries, can you play? So there's all those different things that factor into it, and that's what we're working through right now."

"You're always going to lean on your medical team on that, and it's a medical decision," Peters said . "Every injury is different. And so some of it's you're unable to play, some of it's there's a ramp-up period or a return-to-play timeline.

"And then a lot of it's just, on some injuries, can you play? So there's all those different things that factor into it, and that's what we're working through right now."

Marcus Mariota , the No. 2 overall selection in the NFL Draft nine years before Daniels went off the board at that spot, will continue to fill the void.

Mariota, 32, is now in his third season with the Commanders. He started eight games in place of Daniels last season and made 11 total appearances, clocking out with 10 touchdown passes, 7 picks and 297 rushing yards.

In relief of Daniels against the Cowboys last week, Mariota hit on 11-of-16 attempts for 111 yards and one touchdown.

"I think the world of Marcus as a human being but also as a leader," Peters said Friday on 106.7 The Fan . "To me, he's the best backup quarterback in the league. And you can argue that, but, in my eyes, seeing what he does day in and day out here, seeing how he performs at practice, seeing how he leads in his own way, we have a lot of confidence in him.

"Our offense has a lot of confidence in him. The whole team has a lot of confidence in him. And I think we can still run our whole offense. We can still do everything we need to do with Marcus. And, so, that's why we have him. And I feel really good about him moving forward. However long we need him, I know Marcus can help us get wins."