Commanders QB Jayden Daniels to postpone elbow surgery until offseason

Football fans around the Washington, D.C., area breathed a collective sigh of relief last Friday, when Commanders general manager Adam Peters revealed that star quarterback Jayden Daniels would not be placed on injured reserve after dislocating his left elbow again vs. the Dallas Cowboys , and would avoid surgery. He's expected back in about three weeks if not sooner , but that doesn't mean the injury was less severe than initially thought.

On "The Adam Schefter" podcast, the ESPN insider revealed that Daniels did not "avoid surgery." According to Schefter, it sounds like Daniels is going to require a procedure after the season, but is putting it off so he can return to the lineup and try to save the season.

> Commanders QB Jayden Daniels avoided surgery on his dislocated left elbow for now, but it still is very much in play for after this season. cc: @tyschmit 🎧 https://t.co/wj1vqI8EYo pic.twitter.com/4T6zgIns9m — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 29, 2026

Daniels dislocated his left elbow during last year's Week 9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks . While it was gruesome to watch, Daniels missed just the next three games before returning to the lineup against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14. In that game, Daniels aggravated the injury after being knocked down following an interception. He didn't return to that matchup, and was later ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Daniels avoided surgery last year, but after seeing that elbow pop out on national television again, it's fair to wonder if he should have opted for a procedure. Along those lines, is avoiding surgery again the right idea? He's going to wear a brace on his non-throwing arm in hopes that he doesn't injure the elbow again. A brace didn't stop him from reinjuring the elbow in Week 14 last year.

Washington's general manager told 106.7 The Fan that those in the organization have met with doctors all over the country as they conducted a through review to discover the best course of action. They are going to put Daniels back on the field sooner rather than later, which is something that not everyone in the NFL agrees with.

"If I'm the kid, I get the surgery," one NFL team executive told The Athletic's Jonathan Jones . "I get it might put the team in a weird spot. … I wouldn't pay him without the surgery."

Another team executive told Jones, "Him coming back early is the riskiest outcome for a team that's on the fringe of making the playoffs (even if he is) 100 percent."

Jayden Daniels' NFL injury history

Injury Games Missed

2025 Week 2

Left knee sprain

2

2025 Week 7

Right hamstring strain

1

2025 Week 9

Dislocated left elbow

3

2025 Week 15

Aggravated left elbow injury

4

2026 Week 2

Dislocated left elbow

?

Something else to consider is that Washington has one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL in team captain Marcus Mariota . The veteran is 3-6 as the starter for Washington, and that includes the 33-31 upset victory over the Super Bowl champion Seahawks on Sunday, when Mariota threw for 183 yards and three touchdowns. Is there an argument to be made in prioritizing Daniels' health and rolling with the competent Mariota? Yes, but Washington has decided against it.

Up next for the Commanders are the Indianapolis Colts in London this Sunday.

Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/commanders-jayden-daniels-elbow-surgery-later-date/)._