Jayden Daniels, a day after dislocating his left elbow during Sunday's loss to the Cowboys, underwent imaging on Monday and will consult with multiple experts over the next few days, according to ESPN.
The report also stated that the Commanders expect Marcus Mariota to start at quarterback for Sunday's game against the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks.
Daniels' injury occurred late in the first half when he was inadvertently stepped on by a teammate and tried to brace his fall with his left arm, which bent unnaturally. He was carted off the field with an air cast on his left arm.
Jayden Daniels is down after suffering an injury on this play pic.twitter.com/MlCPDv1BTe
— NFL Retweet (@NFLRT) September 20, 2026
Daniels dislocated the same elbow last season. He played well in Week 1 (a 24-22 loss to the Eagles) and was 11 of 17 for 96 yards and a touchdown (in addition to having 69 yards rushing on seven carries) on Sunday prior to getting injured.
Sunday's injury is the latest setback for Daniels, who missed 10 games last year due to injury. Injuries have plagued Daniels since his sensational rookie season in 2024, which culminated in Washington's first NFC Championship game appearance since 1991.
"Man, are we bummed for him," Commanders coach Dan Quinn said afterward. "I thought he was really playing his ass off, and we will rally so hard around Marcus [Mariota] until Jayden's back. That's what we talked about as a team."
Like Daniels, Mariota is also a former No. 2 overall pick who has his share of ups and downs in the NFL. Mariota (who went 11 of 16 for 111 yards and a touchdown on Sunday) led the Titans to a playoff win in 2017 and appeared to be the franchise's future at quarterback. But while things ultimately went south in Nashville, Mariota has become a solid backup quarterback. During his time with the Commanders (which began in 2024), Mariota has thrown 15 touchdown passes against 7 interceptions with a 64.1% completion percentage.
On Sunday, Mariota will be charged with helping the Commanders win their first game against a Seattle team that has won 12 straight games dating back to last season.
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