The Washington Commanders suffered a setback in Week 15 preparation against the New York Giants involving Jayden Daniels. Already eliminated from playoff contention after a loss to the Minnesota Vikings, they will again be without their starting quarterback.
What Is the Latest Update on Jayden Daniels’ Injury?
According to the latest injury report, Daniels will miss the game against the Giants due to the same elbow injury he sustained in Week 9, early in the season, during the loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Daniels, who currently ranks 24th in the PFSN QB Impact metric with a C- grade, was injured while scrambling after a handoff fake, opting not to pass, with the score already 38-7 against Washington and less than seven minutes left. Fans were upset with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury for not pulling the QB to protect him.
At the time, X-rays were negative, and an MRI showed no structural damage. However, the lack of surgery on the dislocated elbow has limited the QB’s participation. In Week 14, Daniels aggravated his injury by hitting the turf hard after Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers pushed him. The play ended with an interception.
Daniels hit his left elbow on the turf and felt pain on the field. He returned to the sideline, and there was an expectation he would come back to the game. This time, the coaching staff left him on the bench. After the game, Dan Quinn said there were “no long-term concerns with his left elbow.” However, the latest injury report suggests otherwise.
Marcus Mariota Reassumes Starting Role for Commanders
With another Daniels injury, Marcus Mariota returns as the starting quarterback. Against Detroit, Miami, and Denver, he managed at least one 35-yard play and topped 100 rushing yards in nearly every game.
In all 2025 games, Mariota has 1,389 passing yards, 255 rushing yards, nine passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, and seven interceptions. However, Washington must address weaknesses against the Giants’ offense.
Opponents have noticed that with Mariota at QB, the Commanders’ offense focuses more on building drives with small gains and fewer explosive plays. The offense also struggles to sustain drives and shows little variation in play execution when the veteran is on the field.
With these weaknesses in mind, the Giants will likely run several blitzes to pressure Mariota. The Commanders have struggled to handle such defensive plays this season, and the final tests against the Philadelphia Eagles (two games) and Dallas Cowboys will be crucial in evaluating the players until the end of the regular season.
