Jayden Daniels Could Return Soon As Commanders Plan London Practice

Jayden Daniels had spent the past week watching the Washington Commanders from the sideline, but his return moved closer on Monday. The quarterback was set to travel with Washington to London and take part in practice before Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts. Daniels had missed the Commanders' Week 3 win over the Seattle Seahawks after suffering a second dislocation of his left elbow. While a return against Indianapolis was not guaranteed, the latest update gave Washington a reason for hope about its starting quarterback.

Jayden Daniels gets good news after elbow injury

Daniels' trip to London marked an important step in his recovery. Head coach Dan Quinn said the quarterback would participate in practice “in some form and fashion” as the Commanders followed their return-to-play process.

Quinn said Daniels had been eager to get back on the field and had already been pushing him about playing Sunday. “That would be him, for sure, yes. But to his credit, he's been absolutely putting in the work,” Quinn said. “I am excited to get him back out on the practice field.”

The Commanders had not set a firm timetable for Daniels' return. Quinn explained that the team was following guidance from its medical staff after Daniels received opinions from doctors in New York and Los Angeles. Daniels injured his left elbow during Washington's Week 2 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. His arm bent awkwardly during a play late in the first half, and he was carted off before returning to the sideline. The quarterback then missed Sunday's 33- 31 win over Seattle, with Marcus Mariota starting in his place.

Jayden Daniels' strong start before the injury

Before the injury forced him out, Daniels had produced 260 passing yards and three touchdowns on 29 completions in 51 attempts across two games. He had not thrown an interception and had added 100 rushing yards on 12 carries.

Those numbers came after Daniels opened the season with losses to the Philadelphia Eagles and Cowboys. His Week 2 outing against Dallas ended early because of the elbow injury, leaving Washington without its starting quarterback for the Seattle game.

Quinn said Daniels would get a chance to work through the different parts of the return process during the week. Washington planned lighter work on Wednesday before ramping things up Thursday. The Commanders entered the trip to London at 1- 2 after beating Seattle. Washington was scheduled to face the Colts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, with Daniels' progress during practice expected to help determine whether he could return to game action.