Commanders get great Jayden Daniels injury news amid looming IR concerns

The Washington Commanders lost to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2, but the far bigger issue was the injury to quarterback Jayden Daniels.

He sustained a serious-looking left elbow injury, the same elbow he injured last season, which caused him to miss much of the 2026 season. The concern for the Commanders' QB was very real, with IR a possibility.

However, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported some great news for the Commanders. Daniels is not going to be placed on IR for the Commanders and is only going to miss a few games, not a minimum of four weeks.

Commanders make huge Jayden Daniels decision by not placing him on IR

"Commanders QB Jayden Daniels will not be placed on IR, per me and @AdamSchefter," Rapoport reports. "After imaging was evaluated and multiple specialists were consulted this week, the consensus is Daniels is week-to-week and both WAS and Daniels are aiming for him to return as soon as possible."

This update is a massive one for the Commanders quarterback. There had been buzz that he was going to avoid being placed on injured reserve, but this report from Rapoport confirms the Commanders' decision.

Daniels is still going to miss the team's Week 3 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, but the Commanders should be able to get Daniels back in the next three weeks.

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If they place Daniels on IR before Week 3, he would have to miss Week 3 through Week 6, leading right up until the Week 7 bye.

By not placing him on injured reserve, the Commanders are revealing they believe Daniels will be back before the Week 7 bye, which is a great sign his injury isn't as severe as it might've initially seemed.

There will obviously be concern going forward with his injury, but the Commanders believe Daniels will be good to go shortly.

He's going to miss time, but regardless of whether it's one week, two, or even three, by not placing him on IR, the plan is for Daniels to return to the field before the Week 7 bye.

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