Jayden Daniels Injury Update, Commanders QB's Target Return Date Revealed in New NFL Rumors

The Washington Commanders reportedly hope quarterback Jayden Daniels will return for their Week 5 game against the New York Giants.

"The Commanders are hopeful QB Jayden Daniels—who will miss his second straight game Sunday—will return to the lineup next week against the Giants," Tom Pelissero of The Ringer reported Saturday. "As expected, he's wearing a larger brace to protect his balky left elbow, and if he can get through a full week of practice without issue, expect him to play."

Daniels dislocated his left elbow in the first half of Washington's 37-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. It's the same elbow he dislocated last season that kept him out for seven of the final eight games.

Ahead of the Commanders' Week 4 game against the Indianapolis Colts, Daniels returned to practice on a limited basis. He ultimately didn't play to give his injury more time to heal, but this was an encouraging sign his absence might not last much longer.

One reason the Commanders may have felt comfortable keeping Daniels out against the Colts is how well Marcus Mariota played in Week 3. He finished with 183 passing yards and three touchdowns in a 33-31 upset win over the Seattle Seahawks.

However, Mariota suffered a knee injury against the Colts, which left Athan Kaliakmanis under center.

Given how prevalent the elbow issues have been for Daniels over the past two seasons, the Commanders want to be cautious to make sure he is at full strength before putting him back on the field.

Still, they need Daniels to reach whatever the ceiling for this team is going to be in 2026.

Daniels was 29-of-51 for 260 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions through the air in two games prior to the injury. He also ran for 100 yards on 12 carries during that period.