Commanders could take things week-to-week with Jayden Daniels
As mentioned, quarterback Jayden Daniels will push hard to play. The Washington Commanders value his input, and he became more vocal during the offseason to help move his team forward after a disappointing 2025 campaign.
If Daniels has any say in the matter, the Commanders will take a week-to-week approach to his participation status. That raises more questions than answers, and it also creates distraction around how fit the player is and how much he can feature.
It's a fine line that the Commanders must manage carefully.
It's the balance between player power and doing what's best for the team. Much will depend on the specialists' advice, but Daniels will fight hard to avoid injured reserve or anything more drastic.
This is risky, of course. But at least this ongoing injury isn't to Daniels' throwing arm.
That gives them a little flexibility. If it were the other way around, the Commanders would have a much bigger problem on their hands. Fortunately, that's not the case, and Daniels can wear a brace while keeping his throwing arm loose before getting the all-clear to resume football activities.
Washington used this approach last season when Daniels dislocated his elbow for the first time against the Seattle Seahawks. He practiced in a very limited capacity before finally getting the green light. Fans don't need to be reminded of what happened when he did return against the Minnesota Vikings, and wearing a brace will also restrict his mobility and ability to be dynamic.
Putting on a brace also gives the opposition a clear target to aim at.
That might sound a little brutal. But this is the NFL, where violent collisions happen on every snap and teams actively target weak links in pursuit of victory.
At the same time, as the old saying goes, scared money doesn't make money.
If the Commanders are going to wrap Daniels up forever, they won't get very far. If he feels good and the medics are happy, this will be a week-to-week deal. If not, then more cautious options will become integral.
Daniels cannot be the only voice that makes this decision, and he won't be.
The Commanders have to do right by themselves as well as the player. He'll be striving with everything he has to return quickly, but when dislocations happen more than once, they have a greater chance of flaring up again.
And if Daniels cannot even take the weight off his fall without the elbow going out of place, that is a much bigger problem.
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