New Jayden Daniels Rumors Reveal Surprising Timeline from Return from Dislocated Elbow Injury

The Washington Commanders are hopeful quarterback Jayden Daniels can return to the field in Week 4, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler reported Saturday on SportsCenter that Daniels, who suffered a dislocated left elbow in a 37-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, will wear a brace on his left arm that "will restrict his movement a little bit."

The Athletic's Jonathan Jones wrote the brace "should not limit what he has to do on the field."

NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported that "several specialists" concluded Daniels doesn't need surgery right away and is "at minimal risk of making the injury worse."

"To that end, there's a strong chance he'll have surgery after the season to tighten the elbow," Pelissero wrote. "But that's Daniels's decision and may not be finalized anytime soon."

It goes without saying that the Commanders' playoff hopes take a bigger hit the longer Marcus Mariota is starting in place of Daniels. Jones cited some executives who wondered whether the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year should nonetheless take a longer view.

"If I'm the kid, I get the surgery," one exec said. "I get it might put the team in a weird spot. … I wouldn't pay him without the surgery."

Another chimed in to say forgoing surgery is "the riskiest outcome for a team that's on the fringe of making the playoffs."

Daniels' contract status is adding to the dilemma.

The 25-year-old is signed through 2027 and has a club option for 2028. Spotrac puts his market value at $53.4 million, an average that would rank ninth at his position.

Daniels has logged 26 total appearances through his first three seasons. The surgery route would presumably wipe out all or most of the remaining campaign, thus giving Washington a small sample from which to gauge what's a reasonable second contract.

Having Daniels play through the dislocated elbow could adversely impact his performance, though, or leave him susceptible to another injury.

Any way you cut it, the Commanders and their franchise QB are in a bind.