The shockwaves are still reverberating around the Washington Commanders after quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered another dislocated elbow. Head coach Dan Quinn said there would be no confirmed timeline or updates until a little later in the week, but that didn't stop questions from being asked.
They weren't about what appeared to be an unfortunate accident. Rather, the decision to go for it on fourth down and, more importantly, just why Daniels wasn't wearing a brace on the arm if the elbow had any slight chance of flaring up again.
Daniels didn't get offseason surgery. Everything went well over the summer, but there was no contact at training camp. The No. 2 pick in 2024 barely played in the preseason, which meant there weren't many live-fire reps to call upon.
Commanders cannot change their Jayden Daniels brace decision, even though they'd probably like to
And at the first sign of any real impact, Daniels' elbow crumbled under the pressure.
The Arizona State product was protecting himself well over the first two games. But if Daniels thought his elbow was strong enough to take the weight of his fall after left guard Chris Paul stood on him, he was mistaken.
Unfortunately for Quinn, he had to answer for it.
When reporters inevitably asked why Daniels wasn't in a brace to start the season, Quinn admitted he doesn't have the luxury of hindsight. The player went through his rehabilitation and was comfortable enough without it. But the same problem came up again.
And what comes next is unclear.
"There's been a lot of rehab to go through the pace, so that was nothing that was discussed prior to that. Hindsight's awesome, man. I wish we had it in all things, but we don't have the luxury of that."
It's a pretty vague answer. Almost an 'it is what it is' reflection on a crippling blow to Washington's chances of mounting any sort of fight this season.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but it doesn't help the Commanders or Jayden Daniels
For now, Quinn is focused on rallying around backup quarterback Marcus Mariota. With the Seattle Seahawks next up, he has to be. More information on Daniels will come at the end of the week, and if he wants to stand any chance of featuring over the second half of 2026, it'll be with a brace.
If the Commanders' race is run by the time he returns, which looks entirely possible, thinking about the future must take priority above all else.
Would things have been different had Daniels been wearing a brace? Maybe, maybe not. But the incident shows something wasn't right.
Just where the Commanders go from here is anyone's guess.
Daniels could be out for weeks. He might be out for months. He might miss the rest of 2026. But with the Commanders facing a brutal run of games both before and after their Week 7 bye, this campaign could go off the rails quickly.
Quinn and the Commanders can't do anything about Daniels not wearing a brace to start the season, and there is no point looking back with regret. This is about moving forward, because heads could roll if Washington doesn't salvage some respectability from the campaign.
If the medical team insisted, Daniels would have been wearing the brace. They didn't, and he never would have worn one willingly if there was even the slightest chance it would limit his impact.
It's just the worst luck at the worst time. And the Commanders will pay heavily for it.
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