Jayden Daniels’ gruesome elbow injury might not be as severe as it appeared.
The Washington Commanders quarterback is expected to miss at least several weeks with the dislocated left elbow he suffered during the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s 38-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but it’s possible the scary-looking injury is not season-ending, according to NFL Media.
“My understanding is X-rays were negative. That is a good sign. So no fracture,” insider Ian Rapoport said Monday on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.”
“He’s gonna have an MRI, probably not today. Probably on Tuesday, maybe just to give it a little more time and get a little bit of a cleaner read, but there is a possibility that this is not a season-ending injury.”
Daniels’ non-throwing left arm bent awkwardly as he tried to brace himself during a sack by linebacker Drake Thomas. Daniels’ body then rolled onto his arm as he went to the ground.
In a sobering scene, teammates surrounded Daniels as he received medical attention on the Northwest Stadium field. The quarterback ultimately walked to the locker room under his own power with an air cast over his arm.
“The MRI is going to tell the story, just about how much damage there is to the ligaments,” Rapoport said. “But [it is] certainly possible it’s not as bad as it seemed.”
The Commanders’ place in the standings could also factor into whether Daniels returns this year, as Washington fell to 3-6 and is now 3.5 games behind the division-leading Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn did not provide an update after the loss, other than that Daniels sustained an elbow injury.
Quinn has drawn criticism for having Daniels on the field at that point of the game, as the Commanders trailed, 38-7, when the quarterback suffered the injury with 7 minutes, 39 seconds left in regulation.
“You don’t want to think that way where an injury could take place,” Quinn said, adding that the play on which Daniels was injured wasn’t designed for him to scramble.
“It wasn’t a designed read or play into that spot. If we run it 50 times, it’s either a handoff or throw 50 times. So, yeah, it’s a bummer, man, in a big way.”
It’s been a rough sophomore campaign for Daniels, the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year who led the Commanders to a 12-5 record and a trip to the NFC Championship Game last season.
Daniels, 24, had already missed two games with a knee ailment and another with a hamstring issue this year before Sunday’s elbow injury. He has passed for 1,184 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions while rushing for 262 yards and two scores.
“We will give him the support to [stay healthy], and I am certain of that,” Quinn said.
The Commanders will now turn to backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who is 1-2 as a starter this season and 35-42 over his 11-year NFL career.
Washington, which beat the Giants in the season opener, is set to face them at Metlife Stadium on Dec. 14 in Week 14.
