The Commanders’ first half against the Cowboys quickly went from bad to worse on Sunday afternoon.
With Washington on the one-yard line and just three seconds remaining in the second quarter, Jayden Daniels dropped back to pass before guard Chris Paul stepped on his foot. As the quarterback tried to catch himself from falling, he reached out with his left arm—causing his elbow to bend awkwardly.
Daniels threw the ball away before falling to the ground in pain. Trainers then put his left arm in an air cast and he was carted off the field.
Jayden Daniels was carted off after going down on the Commanders’ last play of the first half 🙏
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 20, 2026
(via @NFLonFOX) pic.twitter.com/vYoGmIfZ93
“There’s no other way to say it, simply a devastating way for that half to end for the Commanders,” said Fox sideline reporter Tom Rinaldi. “Jayden Daniels carted off the field, towel over his head, clearly emotional. Made his way into X-ray, where he still is here at AT&T Stadium.”
Daniels has since been ruled out of the game.
This is the same elbow that Daniels dislocated in Week 9 of last season, an injury that caused him to miss four weeks.
Should the 25-year-old once again miss a significant amount of time, here’s a look at the Commanders’ depth chart behind him.
Commanders QB depth chart
| Player | String |
|---|---|
| Jayden Daniels | Starter |
| Marcus Mariota | Backup |
| Athan Kaliakmanis | Third string |
Backing up Daniels in Washington is veteran Marcus Mariota. Mariota was selected by the Titans with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NFL draft and has since logged stints with the Raiders, Falcons and Eagles. He signed with the Commanders in 2024 and has spent the last two and a half seasons with the club. Mariota started eight games in Daniels’s place last season—going 2–6 while completing 61.2% of his passes for 1,695 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Behind Mariota is rookie signal-caller Athan Kaliakmanis, who was drafted by Washington in the seventh round (pick No. 223) in this past April’s draft. Across the team’s three preseason games, the 23-year-old went 24-for-37 passing for 294 yards, which was enough to make the final 53-man roster.
The Commanders’ next four games come against the Seahawks at home, the Colts in London, the Giants at home and the 49ers in San Francisco. Four tough tests, with or without Daniels.
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