Jayden Daniels is not going to injured reserve and doesn't need surgery for the dislocated elbow he sustained in the Washington Commanders' Week 2 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. There is hope the quarterback can feature soon, but everyone in the building must treat this situation with extreme caution.
After all, this is the same dangerous tightrope they walked last season.
This is not a pulled hamstring or a calf strain. It's one of Daniels' arms — albeit his non-throwing one. The Commanders cannot risk throwing him out there before he's ready, and especially if results don't go their way beforehand.
Jayden Daniels and the Commanders must take things slowly after positive news
It's a wait-and-see scenario.
Veteran backup Marcus Mariota will start this weekend against the Seattle Seahawks, but nothing has been confirmed after that. This will be a step-by-step process for Daniels, and the mitigating circumstances outside of his control should not factor into the decision-making process regarding his participation.
Too much is at stake for that.
The Commanders want to give Daniels the flexibility required to make smart choices. He's spent the week consulting with doctors and traveling the country to discuss the next steps with leading specialists. If they are comfortable enough with the signal-caller having a week-to-week status, fans should be too.
That doesn't lessen the risk, but it does give Daniels a fighting chance of making a contribution the rest of the way.
And head coach Dan Quinn needs him.
The Commanders are 0-2 right now, starting the season with two straight road defeats to divisional rivals. With the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks next up, there is a good chance they will be 0-3 before Daniels is reassessed heading into Washington's international game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Jayden Daniels' status should not be impacted by other Commanders factors
Pressure is building on the coach. But again, rushing Daniels back to save jobs is not an option.
Hopefully, Daniels will be around long after Quinn has departed the Commanders. He's their franchise player with a bright future if he can finally stay healthy. He shouldn't be a prop the coach can use as an excuse if everything goes wrong.
And he should not be risked until everyone is satisfied.
Daniels will have to wear a brace when he comes back, which changes the offense's dynamic. David Blough will be relying on quick passes and the running backs to gain yards on the ground. The Commanders need to insulate their prized possession when he does return, and opposing teams will know he's probably one big hit away from sitting out again.
That makes Daniels a sitting duck of sorts. And while his mobility decreases the risk slightly, there will be limitations.
Not getting surgery to end his season or going onto injured reserve is a positive step just when it was needed most. The Commanders are already teetering, and things would completely spiral without Daniels. But if he misses a couple of games and suffers no ill effects after that, hope isn't lost just yet.
This is good news. It's a gamble, of course, but there is nothing stopping the elbow from going again after injured reserve or even after surgery.
That's the reality the Commanders and Daniels could face for potentially the rest of his career. And they just have to live with it.
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