The Washington Commanders hoped star quarterback Jayden Daniels would return this season after he re-aggravated his elbow injury in Week 14, but they since shifted course. Washington will shut down the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, and allow Marcus Mariota to finish out the season at quarterback, NFL Media reports.
The 4-10 Commanders are already eliminated from playoff contention, and have not had their starting quarterback for half of the season. Daniels suffered through knee and hamstring injuries before dislocating his left elbow during the Week 9 loss against the Seattle Seahawks. He returned for the Week 14 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, but landed hard on the injured elbow while trying to chase down Andrew Van Ginkel following an interception.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft took the league by storm as a rookie, throwing for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and added 891 yards and six touchdowns as a rusher. Washington went from 4-13 to 12-5, and made it all the way to the NFC Championship game. Daniels’ 37 total touchdowns and 5,416 total yards (including playoffs), were the most by a rookie in NFL history. This season, Daniels lost five of his seven starts, and threw for 1,262 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions.
This is a developing report.
