Jayden Daniels could have surgery
This would be a last resort. But if the specialists' advice leans toward surgery for Jayden Daniels, the Washington Commanders must seriously consider it to protect their long-term security.
Daniels is their franchise guy. He was truly finding his groove against the Dallas Cowboys, and there is a good chance the Commanders would have won the game in Week 2 had it not been for another cruel turn of luck. Now, uncertainty has replaced optimism, and having surgery to repair the damage is a drastic but viable route.
This would be a crushing blow to the Commanders, at least in the short term. Surgery would not completely remove the risk of it happening again, but it would clean up the internal structure while also strengthening the tissue around the elbow.
But if this is the avenue the Commanders choose, it has to be now.
Recovery from elbow surgery can be anywhere from six months to a year, depending on the severity. If Daniels plays through the pain and has surgery during the offseason, that would put his participation over the offseason and perhaps into the 2027 campaign in doubt.
Getting it done immediately crushes the Commanders' hopes of being competitive this season, but it gives Daniels a fighting chance during the next campaign.
Ideally, the Commanders and Daniels want to avoid this. But that doesn't mean it isn't a plausible scenario to increase his chances of a productive career in Washington.
The Commanders are rallying behind veteran backup Marcus Mariota right now. If Daniels needs surgery, that will be the case for the entire season. This will not go down well with the player, but Washington has to consider the long-term ramifications of throwing him out there in a brace and hoping there isn't another high-impact blow that could change everything.
Of the options listed, this is hopefully the least likely.
Daniels will want to avoid surgery at all costs — that is just the sort of competitor he is. Opting for a procedure in season would all but wave the white flag on 2026, when there was real hope of a bounce back before competitive action began.
But depending on the medical evaluations, they may not have a choice.
That would also bring speculation around what the Commanders do with Daniels' contract. He's an elite-level performer when fit and firing on all cylinders, but missing the best part of two years would make it incredibly risky to pay him ahead of time.
Washington has the luxury of picking up his fifth-year option and seeing how things go in 2027, and Daniels would be motivated to silence his increasing doubters if surgery is the way forward.
Time will tell...
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