Jayden Daniels Suffers Dislocated Elbow as Injury Woes Continue for Commanders Ahead of Seahawks Matchup

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will miss the team’s Week 3 game against the Seattle Seahawks after dislocating his left elbow in a Week 2 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, head coach Dan Quinn announced.

The injury struck on a 3rd-and-goal play just before halftime in Washington’s 37-20 defeat. Daniels slipped while taking the snap and landed awkwardly on the same elbow that sidelined him late last season. Initial X-rays ruled out a fracture, and Daniels is scheduled for further testing that should clarify how long he’ll be out and whether surgery is needed. Quinn expressed optimism that the third-year quarterback will return at some point this season.

The setback is a painful echo of 2025, when Daniels dealt with a knee sprain and hamstring injury before dislocating the same elbow in a 38-14 loss to Seattle — a separate incident that cost him three games. Nearly a year later, Washington finds itself without its starter again while still searching for its first win of 2026.

Veteran backup Marcus Mariota will take over under center. He threw for 111 yards and a touchdown in limited action against Dallas and now faces a demanding test: a Seahawks defense that held Arizona to just 151 total yards. Seattle, meanwhile, arrives at 2-0 despite Sam Darnold missing most of its first two games.

The injury carries relevance beyond the field for sports media companies as well. Sunday’s game was carried nationally on Fox, the sports and entertainment giant behind the FOX broadcast network, whose shares closed recently at $64.45, down 0.82% from the prior close of $64.98, giving the company a market capitalization of roughly $26.85 billion. Marquee quarterback storylines like Daniels’ injury can shape viewership interest around upcoming national broadcasts, including the Seahawks-Commanders matchup.

For Washington, the immediate focus shifts to damage control in a difficult early-season stretch, with a reeling 0-2 record now compounded by uncertainty at the game’s most important position.

What to watch

• Results of Daniels’ Monday testing, which should establish a recovery timeline and clarify whether surgery is required.
• Mariota’s performance against Seattle’s defense in Week 3.
• Seattle’s quarterback situation, with Sam Darnold’s availability for the matchup still in question.

Source: original release