Daniels dislocates same elbow he injured last season — SkimNews
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- Jayden Daniels dislocated his left elbow in the Commanders' 37-20 home loss to Dallas on Sunday, with coach Dan Quinn saying X-rays showed no fracture and more imaging tests scheduled for Monday
- The injury occurred when left guard Chris Paul stepped on Daniels' feet as he took a third-and-goal snap from the 1-yard line, causing Daniels to brace his fall with his left hand and bending his elbow back
- Daniels has now dislocated the same left elbow twice in roughly a year — first in Week 9 last season against Seattle (returned four weeks later), then reinjured on an interception-tackle attempt in Week 14 at Minnesota that ended his rookie season
- Marcus Mariota replaced Daniels and will keep starting in his place, completing 11-of-16 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown after taking over
- Daniels had cut a 17-3 deficit to a one-score game moments before the injury, hitting Stefon Diggs for a touchdown and leading a late first-half drive that ended with the doomed third-and-goal call
- Quinn defended the decision to go for it rather than kick a field goal with three seconds left: he said the team wanted to be aggressive against Dallas' offense, and said of Daniels' outlook: "I haven't had any reason to think otherwise"
- Terry McLaurin called the moment "took the air out of us," while running back Rachaad White, a longtime friend of Daniels, said "I had tears coming down" watching from the sideline
Why it matters: The Commanders will lean on veteran backup Marcus Mariota — who went 11-of-16 for 111 yards in relief — while their 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year recovers from the same elbow he dislocated last season. With Quinn already committing publicly to Mariota as starter and no fracture on initial X-rays, the franchise's timeline hinges on whether Monday's imaging rules out the structural damage that cut Daniels' 2024 short.
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