Jayden Daniels Should Return This Season Despite Elbow Dislocation But Tough Questions For Commanders Abound

The news is good on Jayden Daniels and his dislocated left elbow because he should be able to recover and return to play this season. 

But what happens next will be up to him and the Washington Commanders because difficult questions about the injury have begun and more are likely to follow.

Nov 2, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) received medical attention during the second half against the Seattle Seahawks at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Source: No Fracture For Daniels

Daniels did not fracture his non-throwing elbow, according to The Athletic . That's a big deal because, as OutKick reported Sunday night, that was a major stumbling block in him being able to return to play this season.

Daniels will still likely be dealing with ligament damage to his non-throwing dislocated elbow. The expectation is the MRI on Monday will show an Ulnar Collateral Ligament tear that would typically require surgery to repair but probably won't in this case.  

"It won't matter," OutKick medical expert Dr. David Chao said. "He won't need surgery."

Whaaat?

Daniels won't need surgery, the former team doctor for the San Diego Chargers and founder of SICScore.com said, because the injury is to Daniels' non-throwing arm and elbow. So the QB can simply allow the ligaments to heal on their own.

"They'll heal," Dr. Chao said. "They won't be tight enough to throw a 100 MPH fastball or a football with the same velocity as before. But he's not throwing with his left arm."

Ben Roethlisberger retired last January, but the Steelers can't let him go. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

Multiple QBs Recover Without Surgery

Indeed, Daniels can become another in a notable list of NFL quarterbacks who suffered a dislocated non-throwing elbow – including Matthew Stafford in 2009, Ben Roethlisberger in 2012 and Derek Carr in 2016 – but did not require or have surgery to address the ligament issue.

And this:

Stafford missed two games.

And Carr and Roethlisberger missed one game. 

So the chances of Daniels returning to play within a few weeks look promising, assuming the report of no fracture is accurate.

Nov 2, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA;  Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) receives medical attention after an injury on a play against Seattle Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (42) (not pictured) during the fourth quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Commanders Face Daniels Questions

That doesn't mean the Commanders are dealing with happy times. The team fears cornerback Marshon Lattimore is out for the season with an ACL tear. Further testing will be done Monday.

And receiver Luke McCaffrey broke his collarbone on the opening kickoff.

That's not all. Coach Dan Quinn faced withering questions after Sunday night's 38-14 loss why he had Daniels in the game at all when the injury occurred. Those questions are likely to continue Monday at 3:30 when Quinn meets with reporters again.

Quinn was asked multiple times after the game if he should have pulled the quarterback from a game that was seemingly out of reach with the score 38-7 and 7:39 to play.

ASHBURN, VA - MAY 10: Head coach Dan Quinn of the Washington Commanders looks on during Washington Commanders Rookie Minicamp at OrthoVirginia Training Center on May 10, 2024 in Ashburn, Virginia. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Quinn: Play Not Designed To Scramble

Quinn declined to second-guess himself and made the point that the call on the play Daniels was injured is not meant to have him run out of the pocket and expose himself to injury, anyway.

"The one that he was injured is, you know, usually a runner or a throw to the flat," Quinn said. "It's not a scramble. So, it wasn't a designed read or play into that spot. If we've run it 50 times, it's either a hand off or a throw, you know, I'd say 50 times."