Not only did the Washington Commanders enter halftime of Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys trailing, but they also lost their most promising young player in the process.
Right before the break, QB Jayden Daniels went down after using his left arm to break a fall and suffering a scary-looking elbow injury.
This marks the second season in a row that the former No. 2 overall NFL Draft pick is dealing with a left elbow/arm issue, raising concerns in D.C. Is Daniels’ 2026 outlook going to be the same as 2025’s?
Below, we’ll outline a latest Jayden Daniels injury update and outline its potential impact on Commanders fantasy football picks and projections for PrizePicks.
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Jayden Daniels Injury Update: How Long Is Commanders QB Out With Elbow Injury?
There’s a mixed bag of news for Daniels in the aftermath of Sunday’s loss. While the star signal-caller is undergoing additional imaging and seeking different opinions, it’s confirmed to be an injury to the same left elbow that contributed to him playing in just seven games a year ago.
In a Tuesday morning appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, NFL insider Ian Rapoport confirmed that Daniels is expected to miss multiple games as a result of the dislocation.
Rapoport then added that backup QB Marcus Mariota would likely be under center for at least “a couple” of outings, meaning Daniels’ September is over at the absolute least. The next determination is whether Daniels goes on injured reserve, which would hold him out until the Week 7 bye.
In his sophomore campaign in 2025, Daniels spent time on the shelf early in the season with knee and hamstring ailments. He then dislocated his elbow in a Week 9 loss, only to return in Week 14 and aggravate the issue, which ended his year.
Daniels has attempted 51 passes in two starts this season, racking up 260 yards and 3 TDs through the air while adding another 100 yards on the ground.
Washington closes the month with a Sunday showdown against the visiting Seattle Seahawks before “hosting” the Indianapolis Colts in London in Week 4 and getting the New York Giants at home in Week 5. D.C. travels to the Bay Area to play the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6 before the aforementioned bye.
Commanders Fantasy Football Impact & Marcus Mariota Outlook
If there’s any silver lining for the Commanders in Daniels’ expected absence, it’s that Marcus Mariota has been in this position before.
The former 2015 NFL Draft standout appeared in 11 games a season ago, making eight starts. In that span, he completed 61.2% of his passes for 1,695 yards, 10 TDs, and 7 INTs and had 297 rushing yards. He went 11-for-16 in Sunday’s defeat to Dallas, posting a 109.1 passer rating in the process.
According to RBSDM, 47 QBs logged 100+ plays in 2025. Mariota sat 26th in EPA/play (0.038) and 15th in success rate (48.7%) in that sample, and that’s while playing behind a porous offensive line. It’s clear that unlike some backup field generals, the former Oregon Duck can keep his team afloat for stretches.
As far as receivers who could remain productive with the switch from Daniels to Mariota, look no further than star WR Terry McLaurin. The lifetime Commander experienced an average of 5.43 more fantasy points in games with Mariota since the start of 2025, also seeing his targets per route run spike from 0.20 to 0.31 in outings with the QB logging 20+ snaps. Offseason signing WR Stefon Diggs, current WR9 in PPR fantasy output for 2026, must also be monitored.
The Commanders are 7.5-point underdogs against the Seahawks this weekend, via PrizePicks, returning a 3.22x payout with a victory if they can pull off the home upset at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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For the second year in a row, the Commanders are expected to be faced with life minus flashy QB Jayden Daniels. Can Washington dig itself out of an 0-2 hole and find a way to string together some wins with Mariota at the helm?
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