Jayden Daniels is dealing with a dislocated left elbow, and it’s keeping him off the field, but it was Marcus Mariota’s Week 3 upset win over our Seattle Seahawks that’s really making things interesting for the Commanders and their star QB. Daniels is expected to miss more time as he recovers from an injury that’s becoming way too familiar for Washington.
Daniels’ Elbow Issues Are a Real Headache
This isn’t just a bump or a bruise; Daniels dislocated his left elbow in the first half of Washington’s ugly 37-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. And get this: it’s the *same* elbow he dislocated last season, an injury that basically wiped out his year, keeping him out for seven of the final eight games. Talk about a recurring nightmare. He did get back to practice on a limited basis before their Week 4 game against the Indianapolis Colts, which was an encouraging sign. But ultimately, he sat that one out to give the elbow more time to heal, showing that the Commanders are playing this super cautious. Honestly, who can blame them? When you’ve got an issue like this popping up year after year, you have to be careful.
Mariota’s Performance Against Our Hawks Changes Everything
One huge reason the Commanders probably felt okay keeping Daniels sidelined against the Colts? Marcus Mariota. Yeah, the guy who just threw for 183 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-31 upset win over *our* Seahawks in Week 3. You remember that game, don’t you? It was a tough pill to swallow for the 12s, but it showed exactly what Mariota can do. His performance, especially against a solid team like ours, gave the Commanders a “strong offensive floor” while Daniels is out. Before his injury, Daniels was tearing it up too, going 29-of-51 for 260 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions through the air in his two games, plus he added 100 rushing yards on 12 carries. But right now, with Daniels’ elbow issues so prevalent over the past two seasons, Washington is prioritizing his full strength. They clearly need Daniels to get back on the field to reach “whatever the ceiling for this team is going to be in 2026,” but Mariota’s showing, particularly against the Emerald City, bought them some precious time.
The Commanders face their next challenge looking to build on that Mariota-led upset. For Daniels, the focus is all about healing that elbow and making sure this isn’t a long-term problem. For us, we’ll be watching closely to see if Mariota keeps playing at a level that makes Daniels’ return less urgent for Washington, while our Seahawks look to bounce back from that Week 3 shocker.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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