Jayden Daniels’ elbow injury looked to have left the Washington Commanders’ hopes of salvaging their 2025 season in tatters, with fears the quarterback who inspired their stunning run to the NFC Championship Game last year could be lost for the rest of the campaign.
The Commanders got a key update on Friday on whether that will indeed be the case. Following a chastening Monday Night Football loss to the Seattle Seahawks in which their decision to keep Daniels on the field in a blowout backfired, the Commanders desperately needed some positive news.
Will Jayden Daniels Play Again in The 2025 Season?
While the Commanders will still have to face the daunting possibility of battling the Detroit Lions in Week 10 without the services of their star quarterback, Friday’s update provided some reason for optimism.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that Daniels’ dislocated left elbow is not as serious as first feared. Daniels had an MRI on the injury, which revealed the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year had not suffered any ligament damage.
Sources: #Commanders QB Jayden Daniels’ MRI and medical opinions revealed positive news, as his dislocated left elbow is not as serious as originally anticipated. There was no ligament damage & he won’t need surgery.
Daniels will not be immediately placed on Injured Reserve. pic.twitter.com/mB1zZ6D8oj
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 7, 2025
Daniels does not require surgery and, as such, will not immediately be placed on injured reserve. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero added that, while Daniels is out indefinitely, there is still a chance he could return this season.
Jayden Daniels out indefinitely, but a return this season remains in play. https://t.co/nHg9ishrot
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 7, 2025
Whether he does so may well depend on how the Commanders fare in the coming games.
Commanders Face Uphill Fight in NFC Playoff Race
The loss to the Seahawks dropped the Commanders to 3-6. In the NFC, only the New Orleans Saints (1-8) and the New York Giants (2-7) have a worse record.
Ranking 14th in PFSN’s Offense Impact metrics but a lowly 25th in Defense Impact metrics, there is little to suggest an ageing Commanders team has enough to turn things around, even with Daniels in the lineup.
Without him, backup Marcus Mariota will be tasked with trying to keep the Commanders’ ship afloat.
Mariota is 1-2 as a starter in relief of Daniels this season. He led the Commanders to victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3 but could not prevent them from falling to defeat to the Atlanta Falcons a week later. The second overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft threw two interceptions in his most recent appearance, a 28-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs that preceded Daniels’ return from a hamstring strain.
Now he will take the helm of the offense for a home game with a Lions team stunned by the Commanders in last season’s playoffs. Detroit will be desperate to get back to winning ways after a surprise home loss to the Minnesota Vikings, and, at 5-3, the Lions will be widely anticipated to prevail.
With Daniels still having a chance to return, the Commanders’ season isn’t dead, but Mariota and Co. will need to produce something special to keep it alive.