Daniels Limited at Practice; Sunday Status Unclear — SkimNews
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- Jayden Daniels returned to practice Wednesday in Hertfordshire, England, wearing a black brace on his left elbow after dislocating it in a Week 2 loss at Dallas, but was limited to what amounted to a "60-minute jog-through."
- Dan Quinn said he needs to see more from Daniels before deciding whether he can play Sunday against the Colts, centering the return timetable on "functionality and strength, the pain tolerance for him."
- Marcus Mariota will start again Sunday if Daniels doesn't return; Mariota led the Commanders (1-2) to a win over Seattle in Daniels' absence.
- Daniels suffered the same elbow injury in Week 9 last season, aggravated it upon his return five weeks later, and was shut down for the final four games of 2025; he also visited specialists in New York and Los Angeles who said he could return without surgery, though surgery remains a possibility.
- Washington ruled out safety Nick Cross (internal injury) and guard Sam Cosmi (concussion) — neither traveled to England — while linebacker Frankie Luvu (groin) and tight end Chig Okonkwo (hamstring) will practice with their Sunday status uncertain.
- Austin Ekeler signed with the Commanders earlier in the week after Rachaad White's shoulder injury kept the running back out of Wednesday's workout.
Why it matters: With Daniels having previously aggravated this exact elbow injury upon his return — leading to a season-ending shutdown in 2025 — Washington faces a known medical pattern that turned a five-week absence into four more games on the sideline. The Commanders are already 1-2 with two starters ruled out and more questionable for Sunday, and Quinn's emphasis on pain tolerance rather than a hard timeline keeps Daniels' Week 4 status genuinely uncertain rather than procedurally close.
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