Washington Commanders’ QB Jayden Daniels suffered a serious left elbow injury when he landed awkwardly in the losing game, 38-14, against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night. He was then listed on the team’s injury report and missed the practice as well. However, there is now good news regarding Daniels’ injury. 

As per NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, Daniels’ MRI scans are done, and his dislocated left elbow is not as serious as it was anticipated. He won’t need surgery, as there is no ligament damage.

“Sources: #Commanders QB Jayden Daniels’ MRI and medical opinions revealed positive news, as his dislocated left elbow is not as serious as originally anticipated. There was no ligament damage & he won’t need surgery. Daniels will not be immediately placed on Injured Reserve,” Rapoport tweeted.

The same tweet was reshared by Daniels’ mother and manager, Regina Jackson. She reshared Rapoport’s post with two praying hand emojis. Additionally, details regarding elbow dislocation were shared by Nicki Jhabvala, the reporter for The Athletic. She shared the opinion of Dr. Carlos Uquillas, who is a surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Orthopedics in Los Angeles.

According to Dr. Carlos Uquillas, a complex dislocation with fracture can sometimes require surgery to repair. However, a simple dislocation (which seems to be the case with Daniels) without any fracture typically does not require surgery, unless the joint is especially unstable.

He also added “Once the joint is mobilized, patients with simple dislocation can typically start moving the elbow in a range of motion that keeps it stable, usually after about a week”

In the same post shared by Nicki Jhabvala, it was mentioned that Uquillas didn’t treat any injured Commanders’ player on Sunday night

Daniels suffered the injury when he put his hand on the ground to brace himself during a tackle, and his elbow bent in the wrong direction. X-ray reports didn’t reveal any fracture, and the unexpected news might be the only good news the struggling Commanders have right now.

Since Daniels won’t be placed on injured reserve, it suggests that he can be back sooner than later. Rapoport also reported that Daniels’ status will be re-evaluated during the Commanders’ Week 12 bye, and there are multiple factors that the Commanders will need to consider moving forward.

What’s next for the Commanders?

One important factor the Commanders need to consider right now is their chances of qualifying for the playoffs, which are currently hanging by a thread as the team enters Week 10 of the 2025 season after dealing with four consecutive losses. The Commanders have a challenging schedule ahead, as they will face the Detroit Lions (5-3) and then the struggling Miami Dolphins (2-7).

The best the Commanders can hope for is 1-1 during weeks 10 and 11. It will be a tough task for them to beat the Lions, especially after how the Commanders’ defense has performed this season, allowing 3,400 yards in 9 games. But a loss against the Dolphins will prove to be a sinking ship of the season for the Commanders.

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin is also out of action as he aggravated his week 3 quadriceps injury during week 8. If McLaurin and Daniels return in Week 14 together, there will still be questions regarding whether they should return or the Commanders should rest them for the remainder of the season.

The Commanders are in a tough spot right now. Although Daniels’ injury update is positive news for the Commanders, that’s the only positive news they have had in the last 4 weeks. If they really want to make it to the playoffs, they will have to break their losing streak by the end of week 11.