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Washington Commanders fans watched their franchise quarterback suffer an agonizing injury once again earlier this week, when Jayden Daniels dislocated his left elbow in gruesome fashion.
Unfortunately, that hasn’t been a rare occurrence 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 seasons being due to hamstring injuries. However, with Daniels’ injuries, the Commanders’ season has been derailed after an appearance in the NFC Championship Game 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/Image Images)
Even though the season is almost over, Theismann said the Commanders should allow Daniels to return to the field only if he is “100% medically cleared, so he’s not at risk of further injury from any of the injuries he’s had.”
“I think being able to play again at some point would be beneficial for him to continue growing. You have to remember that he’s only in his second year and he hasn’t played much in his second year. And the only real way to learn to play this game is to be on the field, because you have to handle situations, you have to anticipate coverages, you have to protect yourself,” Theismann said in a recent interview with Pak Gazette 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 running quarterback like Daniels.
“This is the one thing I tell all the young quarterbacks when I have the opportunity to be around them: don’t count on the rules to protect yourself. Protect yourself, run 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 make a throw or try to do special things when you’re hurt. You can’t learn when you’re hurt,” Theismann said.
“Same with Jaxson Dart: Part of his game is running. OK, okay. Anthony Richardson, his game was running. You’re not going to run over these guys, and here’s the thing: This is what I see. What people don’t understand is that as a wide receiver, you can protect yourself a little more. As a running quarterback, when you get hit, you’re not used to getting hit. You’re not used to going to the ground. It’s not something that happens every day for you. As a quarterback, you’re in a group of people when you back away, but when you go out into open space, what happens is your head hits the ground; that’s where concussions happen. You don’t have to show that you can run. There are times and ways to not 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)
The Commanders did not place Daniels on injured reserve, a sign that he could return to the field sooner rather than later.
