Doctors: Daniels at High Risk of Another Elbow Dislocation — SkimNews
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- Jayden Daniels will start Sunday against the New York Giants with a brace on his left elbow, the brace required for the rest of the season after he suffered his second dislocation of the elbow in Week 2 and missed the prior two games.
- Doctors around the NFL who have not examined Daniels told ESPN that a player who dislocates the same elbow twice — as Daniels has over the past 11 months — faces a higher risk of suffering another dislocation, framing re-injury as a matter of when, not if.
- Daniels visited specialists in New York and Los Angeles, where the overwhelming opinion was that playing with a brace was a viable option, a conclusion that contrasts with the skepticism of league doctors who never examined him.
- Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough said Thursday that Daniels would be a "full go" with no limitations to Washington's game plan, and Daniels himself said he can hand off and take snaps from center while wearing the brace.
- Rookie Athan Kaliakmanis will serve as Daniels' backup Sunday after Marcus Mariota was ruled out because of a sprained MCL, leaving Washington with an inexperienced No. 2 behind a quarterback doctors say is at elevated re-injury risk.
Why it matters: Washington is sending its franchise quarterback back onto the field with a brace and a unanimous green light from his own specialists, while a separate contingent of NFL doctors — without having examined him — publicly question whether he can finish the season without dislocating the same elbow a third time in under a year.
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