Roughly 14 years ago, the Washington Commanders did not know how to defeat when it came to protecting the future of their franchise quarterback. After Robert Griffin III injured his knee in a late-season game, the Commanders rushed back the eventual Offensive Rookie of the Year, only to watch him exacerbate that injury in a crushing wild-card playoff loss. Try as he might, Griffin would never be the same. There was no way to walk back a clearly dubious decision-making process with Griffin's return from injury, either.
The moment Griffin got hurt, the damage was done and irreversible. Full stop.
While the Commanders' modern questionable management of young franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels' health isn't an exact replica of said situation, there
is a reason the saying, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes," exists.
On Wednesday, as the Commanders prepare for a London game with the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday, Daniels was seen sporting a protective brace for his dislocated left elbow. Daniels did not suit up for a Week 3 victory over the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, but it sounds like his stint on the bench while recovering might end much sooner than it really should. In fact, there is a distinct chance the third-year quarterback and recent Offensive Rookie of the Year will even start in Washington's London game.
Jayden Daniels and the brace in London. pic.twitter.com/pavrpt32hv
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) September 30, 2026
Huh, OK. There's so much to unpack here.
Yes, Daniels' injured elbow is on his non-throwing arm, but he has dislocated it twice in less than a calendar year. Isn't anyone with the Commanders organization at least a tad concerned that a cumbersome supportive brace — which certainly won't protect him from direct hits to his injured elbow — isn't nearly enough to protect Daniels from potentially making his injury worse (again)? Doesn't anyone with the franchise realize they're playing with fire with their first hopeful franchise quarterback in almost a generation?
Who in their right mind thinks this approach with this solitary brace is worth all the trouble of exposing Daniels to more danger when he's already vulnerable? What, on Earth, is the rush here? This whole process from an organization that is seemingly acting out of this weird place of desperation boggles the mind:
As we reported over the weekend, it's a bulkier brace than the one he wore last year that won't allow for a 100% full extension. His return is pretty much all about him getting used to the brace https://t.co/iOgwtnNT52
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) September 30, 2026
I'm sorry, WHAT? You're telling me that not only will the brace not allow full extension for Daniels (hmm, almost like it's a corrective brace meant for recovery with limited activity, not dangerous and extremely physical football), but also whether he plays roughly two weeks after dislocating his elbow for the second time in 11 months will mainly be about how comfortable he feels with the brace?
I really feel like we're overlooking the whole second dislocation in 11 months factor here! Just completely glossing over it. Tucking it under the rug, if you will.
None of this to say that the Commanders should put Daniels in bubble wrap. They shouldn't be afraid of letting their quarterback play football. It is football. He is going to get hit a lot throughout his entire career. That's the name of the game. But that inevitable physicality is why it feels so reckless to thrust him back into action so quickly when he's already nursing a serious injury at the same time. And all because they're clearly rash about notching a winning season after a down 2025, even though the Daniels era should have 10-plus years remaining in an ideal world.
Doesn't this franchise know what happened the last time they did something like this? The Commanders have lost the plot with Daniels' injury management. Here's hoping, for Daniels' sake, that it doesn't come back to bite them. You know, just like the first time.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: The Commanders' Jayden Daniels plan feels like a blueprint to break a franchise QB
