What is Jayden Daniels' Status After Re-Aggravating Elbow Injury on INT Return?

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels exited the team's 31-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday after re-aggravating a left elbow injury, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

He suffered the injury while getting blocked during an interception return in the third quarter of the contest.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn explained why Daniels remained out for the rest of the game after he was initially listed as questionable to return.

"As a team, at this point, we were off and felt like that was the right call," Quinn said following the defeat, per ESPN's John Keim.

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Daniels' sophomore season with the Commanders has been hampered by injuries, as he previously missed three games due to a dislocated elbow that he suffered near the end of a 38-14 loss against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9.

Prior to the elbow issue, he appeared in just five of Washington's first eight contests of the year while navigating through hamstring and knee injuries.

Daniels has still shown why he's the future for the Commanders under center when healthy, completing 62.5 percent of his throws for 1,184 yards and eight touchdowns compared to two interceptions. He's continued to make plays with his legs, rushing for 262 yards and two scores.

Still, Washington holds a record of just 3-9 on the season and owns a 1-5 mark in the six games that Daniels has been sidelined.

It's been a disappointing overall year for a Commanders squad that entered their 2025 campaign with high expectations after making an appearance in the NFC Championship Game last season.

Daniels was a key reason for Washington's success in 2024, earning Offensive Rookie of the Year recognition. He completed 69.0 percent of his passes for 3,568 yards, recording 31 total touchdowns while tossing a mere nine interceptions.

Daniels also picked up 891 yards on the ground, the second-most among all quarterbacks.

Marcus Mariota has served as Washington's backup signal-caller this season and will fill in for Daniels until he's able to return.