After it initially looked like Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels might miss a month or more due to his dislocated elbow, a new report reveals he is expected to be back sooner than that.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Daniels is expected to return from injury within three weeks after consulting doctors following his injury.
“[Daniels] did get some good news this week after several opinions and consulting with experts,” Rapoport said.
“My understanding is he is expected back at three weeks or sooner. Going to put a brace on that elbow, but should be back with the Commanders. No IR, that is excellent news,” he added.
From @NFLGameDay Morning: #Commanders QB Jayden Daniels should be back within 3 weeks; #Bears QB Caleb Williams has a Grade 2 hamstring strain; The #Vikings start Kyler Murray today. pic.twitter.com/8cpo3DyXwg
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 27, 2026
We got our first hint that Daniels might be back sooner than a month after the Commanders announced he wouldn’t need surgery and the team wasn’t talking about an injured reserve stint.
“As of right now surgery is not on the table and we have not discussed IR,” general manager Adam Peters said, per ESPN.
Now, it looks like Daniels might be back no later than Week 5.
MORE: Commanders clap back at suggestion team ‘abandoned’ Jayden Daniels
Commanders’ upcoming schedule
Here’s a look at Washington’s next four games:
- Week 3 vs. Seattle Seahawks
- Week 4 vs. Indianapolis Colts
- Week 5 vs. New York Giants
- Week 6 at San Francisco 49ers
Daniels will definitely miss the Week 3 game against the Seahawks, as he has already been ruled out.
Matchups with the Colts and Giants are winnable games considering the issues both of those teams are having, and in particular the Giants, who lost quarterback Jaxson Dart for the remainder of the season.
MORE: Updated NFC East odds after Jaxson Dart, Jayden Daniels injuries
We wouldn’t anticipate Daniels making it back for the Colts game, but there appears to be a real chance he’ll be back for the contest against New York, which will obviously increase Washington’s chances of winning.
The 49ers are the toughest game of that slate with San Francisco sitting at 2-0, but Daniels will certainly be back for that contest if Rapoport’s timeline holds.
Weathering the storm
Until Daniels gets back, the Commanders will be starting Marcus Mariota under center.
Mariota is a solid backup quarterback, so Washington is in a better spot than most teams would be in the same situation.
The veteran signal-caller was 2-6 as Washington’s starter last season while Daniels was sidelined, but that was hardly all his fault, as the Commanders were just a bad team.
MORE: Dak Prescott reaction to Jayden Daniels injury makes Commanders look worse
Mariota did post respectable numbers, completing 61.2 percdent of his passes for 1,695 yards and 10 touchdowns to seven picks. He also added 50 carries for 297 yards and another score, which shows he dual-threat ability.
Last week, Mariota played well, completing 68.8 percent of his passes for 111 yards and one touchdown in one half of football.
At 0-2, the Commanders desperately need Mariota to lead them to some wins, or else the season might be sunk by the time Daniels gets back.
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