Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has a chance to return to the field on Sunday when the Commanders take on the Indianapolis Colts in London.
Commanders coach Dan Quinn told reporters on Monday that Daniels will “more than likely” travel with the team to London and practice. It’s still to be determined if Daniels will play in the game but nonetheless, a positive update for Daniels.
The news comes after general manager Adam Peters said the Commanders weren’t considering surgery or placing Daniels on injured reserve.
Quinn said the same day the Commanders were considering Daniels “week-to-week” and that Marcus Mariota would start in Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks. Mariota threw three touchdowns to help lead Washington to a 33-31 victory over the defending Super Bowl champs for the team’s first win of the season.
Keeping Daniels off the injured reserve seemingly indicated the Commanders were hoping he might return within a four-game stretch.
The Commanders are scheduled to play home games against the Colts and New York Giants as well as a road game against the San Francisco 49ers over that span.
Daniels suffered the latest in what has been a series of injuries to his left elbow during the Commanders’ Week 2 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
The quarterback’s left arm bent awkwardly on a fall late in the first half of the Sept. 20 matchup. He was carted off the field and later returned to the sideline wearing an air cast.
Daniels previously suffered a dislocated left elbow in Week 9 of the 2025 season. He missed three games with the injury, then returned for Week 14 only to re-injure the elbow and sit out the rest of the season.
Mariota stepped in for Daniels following his injury but was unable to stop the Commanders from falling into an 0-2 hole to start the season. The veteran quarterback, who went 2-6 in eight starts for the Commanders last season, could once more be tasked with leading Washington’s offense in the short term.
Still, it’s encouraging that Daniels is making enough progress in his recovery to travel with the Commanders to London for Sunday’s matchup against the Colts.
