Brace, Not Surgery: Jayden Daniels Chooses Rehab and Could Return Within a Month

The Commanders are betting on a brace. After three days with specialists, Jayden Daniels will rehab his dislocated left elbow instead of having it repaired, and Washington isn't putting him on injured reserve.

General manager Adam Peters laid it out Thursday on 106.7 The Fan: surgery isn't on the table right now, and IR hasn't been discussed. If the plan works, Daniels could be back in about four weeks. Surgery would probably have ended his season, and IR would have cost him at least four games.

The play and the history

It happened on the last snap of the first half in Dallas, third-and-goal at the 1 with three seconds left. Left guard Chris Paul stepped on Daniels' foot as he took the snap, Daniels fell backward and put his left hand down, and the arm gave way. Washington lost 37-20.

This is the second time that elbow has come out. The first was against Seattle in Week 9 last season, and he aggravated it after coming back in Week 14. X-rays both times showed no fracture.

Northwest Stadium, where Washington hosts Seattle this weekend.

What the doctors are weighing

His doctors have been honest that the elbow could dislocate again, even if they liked how it looked. Dr. Marc Kowalsky, an elbow specialist who hasn't treated Daniels, explained the trade-off: surgery usually isn't done after a first dislocation because the repeat rate is only 1 to 2%, skipping it raises that risk, and a brace offers some protection. His bigger concern is the bone that stabilizes the joint, which can be damaged a little more each time.

Mariota's turn

Marcus Mariota starts Sunday against unbeaten Seattle, then Washington plays Indianapolis and the New York Giants. That stretch matters. The Commanders are 0-2 and have lost 12 of their last 14 going back to last year, and Daniels had been sharp before the injury, with 260 passing yards, three touchdowns and 100 rushing yards in six quarters.

It's a long way from 2024, when he was Offensive Rookie of the Year, started every game and took Washington to the NFC title game. Since then he has missed 10 games with knee, hamstring and elbow injuries. Keeping him on the field is now the whole season.