The news every Washington Commanders fan was waiting for came on Friday morning. Quarterback Jayden Daniels will not have surgery on his dislocated elbow and will not be placed on injured reserve. That means his injury is considered week-to-week, rather than month-to-month.
It's the best possible outcome for a Washington team that needs anything positive right now. Daniels was playing well before he went down on the final play of the first half against the Dallas Cowboys, accounting for 165 total yards and a touchdown in the contest.
But just because he avoided disaster this time, it doesn't mean the risk is gone. The Commanders still face an extremely difficult dilemma.
Jayden Daniels' availability might depend on the situation the Commanders bring him back into
We all know what type of competitor Daniels is. He hates nothing more than not playing football. Because the injury is to his non-throwing arm, he'd probably be out there this Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks if it was his call to make.
In all realistic likelihood, one has to think the goal is to have him back immediately following Washington's Week 7 bye, and potentially even a game or two after it. That would mean he misses at most four contests.
But the Commanders need to be careful with how they manage Daniels' situation.
This is already a repeat injury from last year, and there's a high risk that it could recur. And the last thing you want is to throw your franchise player back into the fire only for something even worse to happen.
In other words, Washington has at most four games to create a situation they can feel comfortable putting Daniels in.
Commanders cannot fumble Jayden Daniels' potential return again
If the Commanders are 1-5 or even 0-6 at the bye week, they'll hesitate about whether it's even worth trotting Daniels back out there. Players want to play, but what's the point? Just to see him get injured again in a lost season, like he did last year?
However, if Washington can grind out a few victories — Weeks 4 and 5 against the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants should be prime opportunities — the vibe will be very different.
The Commanders will have momentum and an easier part of their schedule coming up. The stretch between Week 10 and Week 15 is when Washington will need to make its playoff push, and head coach Dan Quinn's squad will need all hands on deck.
If Daniels is playing at an elite level by that point, it could change the entire season.
The biggest factor will be the offensive line.
Through two weeks, they've amazingly only given up one sack, a testament to Daniels' escape artistry, though they were also directly responsible for his injury. If they can show growth and make life even somewhat comfortable for veteran Marcus Mariota, Washington should feel confident returning to its star under center.
It's a complicated situation for Daniels, with no easy options. But at the very least, the Commanders now know they do have options.
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