The Washington Commanders are entering Week 13 with a horrible 3-8 record and little time to turn the season around. Star quarterback Jayden Daniels has been out since week 9 with a dislocated elbow, and without him in the lineup, the Commanders are struggling.
Still, maybe Daniels can return from his injury and get some momentum going into next season.
What Is Jayden Daniels’ Status for Week 13?
In Week 9 of the season, Daniels returned from his previous hamstring injury that was suffered against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 7. This was a massive return, given how the season was going for the Commanders, and a comeback was still possible with their record at 3-5.
Late in that game against the Seattle Seahawks, Daniels suffered another injury, this time to his elbow, which looked extremely gruesome. Obviously, this injury was extremely scary and worrisome because of the potential time the star QB could miss, but what made it worse was that Daniels should not have been there at that time.
With seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Commanders were down 38-7 and had little to no chance of making a comeback. It was an entirely avoidable injury, which is why it hurts just a bit more for Commanders fans.
Since that point, Daniels has been out with the elbow injury, and his return remains unknown. Although for Week 13, there was still a chance that he could make his return.
Throughout this week, Daniels has been limited in practice without any designation for Sunday’s game. Unfortunately, on Friday, the Commanders announced that Daniels will not play on Sunday.
Commanders Do Not Want To Rush Back Daniels
Daniels will not play this week against the Denver Broncos, but that is a good idea for Washington. Rushing Daniels back from his injury for a team that currently has a .3% chance of making the playoffs per PFSN’s NFL Playoff Predictor makes no sense for the future of this team.
The Commanders have already seen what playing when it is not needed can cause, and bringing him back against a Broncos team ranked first overall and second in sack percentage per PFSN’s Defensive Impact Metric was a massive risk of re-injury.
However, ESPN Insider Adam Schefter provided an update early Sunday morning regarding Daniels’ availability for Week 14.
“Commanders QB Jayden Daniels practiced all week in a limited capacity, but has yet to be cleared for contact from his dislocated elbow injury, and it remains unclear whether he will play next Sunday against Minnesota.
Daniels has said that, if he’s healthy, he would like to play.”
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels practiced all week in a limited capacity, but has yet to be cleared for contact from his dislocated elbow injury, and it remains unclear whether he will play next Sunday against Minnesota.
Daniels has said that, if he’s healthy, he would like to… pic.twitter.com/LXQjVPJY8c
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 30, 2025
Daniels’ sophomore campaign has been significantly interrupted by injuries, limiting him to just 6 starts before he was sidelined with a dislocated elbow in early November. Through those six appearances, he posted a 74.4 QB Impact Score and earned a C grade, ranking him 22nd among quarterbacks for the season.