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Washington Commanders fans saw their franchise quarterback suffer yet another gruesome injury earlier this week, as Jayden Daniels suffered a gruesome dislocation of his left elbow.
Unfortunately, this hasn’t been an uncommon sight for Commanders fans, as they’ve seen similar injuries to Joe Theismann, Robert Griffin III, and Alex Smith.
This will be the third time this season that Daniels has missed time, with the other two stints due to hamstring injuries. With Daniels’ injuries, the Commanders’ season was derailed after an NFC Championship Game appearance in Daniels’ rookie season.
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Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) runs the ball defended by Seattle Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (42) during the second half at Northwest Stadium. (Amber Searls/Imagn Images)
Although the season is almost over, Theismann said commanders should only let Daniels back on the field if he is “100 percent medically cleared, so he’s not at risk of further injury due to the injuries he suffered.”
“I think being able to come back and play at some point would be beneficial for him to continue to grow. You have to remember he’s only in his second year and he hasn’t played much in his second year. And the only real way to learn how to play this game is to be on the field, because you have to manage situations, you have to anticipate coverages, you have to protect yourself,” Theismann said in a recent interview with PK Press Club Digital.
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) is helped off the field after injuring his arm in the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Landover, Maryland. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
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The “protect yourself” part may actually be the most important aspect, especially for a quarterback like Daniels.
“That’s the one thing I tell all the young quarterbacks when I get a chance to be around them: Don’t rely on the rules to protect yourself. Protect yourself, get out of bounds, slide, throw the ball. Always think about the next opportunity, the next play, because it doesn’t do you any good to try to shoot or try to get special items when you’re hurt. You can’t learn when you’re hurt,” Theismann said.
“Same thing with Jaxson Dart – part of his game is running. OK, fine. Anthony Richardson, his game was running. You’re not going to run over these guys, and here’s the thing – that’s what I see. What people don’t understand is that as a wide receiver, you can protect yourself a little more. As a quarterback, when you get hit, you’re not used to getting pounded. You don’t get used to going to the ground. It’s not an everyday occurrence for you because a quarterback. You’re in a group of people when you step back, but when you go out into open space, what happens is your head hits the ground – that’s when the concussions happen. And when you’re on the field, you’re easy meat you don’t need to show that you can run. There are times and ways to run, and times and ways not to run.
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Commanders did not place Daniels on injured reserve, a sign he could return to the field sooner rather than later.
