What Happened to Jayden Daniels?
Jayden Daniels is out right now because of a dislocated left elbow on his non throwing arm. The injury happened late in a blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks in early November. He tried to brace himself as he went to the ground. His arm bent in a bad way.
Doctors confirmed the elbow was dislocated but not broken. Scans showed only limited ligament damage. So he did not need surgery. That is a big positive for his long term health. But a dislocation is still serious for a quarterback. It takes time to get strength and stability back.
He came back to practice after a few weeks. But he is only taking part in limited work. He has not been cleared for contact yet. That means he can throw and move a bit in controlled drills. He cannot take hits or get tackled. Until doctors clear him for full contact he cannot play.
Right now Marcus Mariota is starting at quarterback for the Washington Commanders. Daniels has already missed several games because of this elbow problem. Reports say there is a chance he returns around Week 14 against the Minnesota Vikings. That is not guaranteed. His status is called unclear week to week. The key step is medical clearance.
This elbow issue came on top of other problems this season. Earlier in the year he had a sprained knee that cost him games. He also missed time with a hamstring injury on the other leg. So he has already had three different injuries in this one season. That has slowed his development after a strong rookie year. It also hurt the Commanders offense.
Coaches have said they like how he is working in rehab and in meetings. He wants to play as soon as he is healthy. He has said that if he is out there he will give everything he has. But the team is not in a good position in the standings. So there is less reason to rush him back.
For Washington this is a balance. They want their young quarterback to get real game snaps. That helps his growth. But they also have to protect him from long term damage. A non throwing elbow is easier to manage than a shoulder or throwing arm problem. Still it is the arm he uses to brace for hits. If it is not stable one more fall could create a worse injury.
From the outside the likely path looks simple. He keeps practicing on a limited basis. Medical staff watch how he handles movement catching snaps handing the ball off and absorbing light bumps. If the elbow holds up without swelling or pain they move closer to full contact. If there are setbacks the return date moves deeper into December.
So when people ask what happened to Jayden Daniels the answer is this. He dislocated his left elbow late in a heavy loss. He avoided surgery but the joint needs time to heal. He has already missed multiple games and might miss more. His return this season is possible but depends fully on medical clearance and how careful the Commanders want to be with their quarterback of the future.
Disclaimer
This update summarizes publicly available reporting and team-provided information. It is not medical advice. Injury statuses can change quickly, so always refer to official team announcements and NFL injury reports for the most accurate and current details.
