Commanders' Jayden Daniels (elbow) to start Sunday vs. Giants after missing two games

Jayden Daniels is returning, and not a moment to soon for his Washington Commanders. 

Daniels will start for Washington against the visiting New York Giants on Sunday after missing two games due to a dislocated elbow, coach Dan Quinn confirmed Friday.

Quinn added that receiver Stefon Diggs (hamstring) won't be available for Daniels in his return, while Terry McLaurin (hamstring) looked good in his return to practice Friday.

Anticipation for a potential Daniels comeback came prior to Washington's Week 4 game in London against the Indianapolis Colts when he made the transatlantic flight with the team. Ultimately, Daniels was ruled out and his backup, Marcus Mariota, was injured in the defeat, which dropped Washington to 1-3. 

Daniels, who dislocated his non-throwing elbow in a Week 2 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, practiced fully on Wednesday and Thursday, a good indicator he'd return Sunday, when he'll be backed up by seventh-round rookie Athan Kaliakmanis. Kaliakmanis made his impromptu debut in relief of Mariota against the Colts. 

Now, Daniels, the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024, will be looked on to reverse course for Washington, which is coming off a disastrous 5-12 2025 that seems to be bleeding into 2026.

Daniels has missed 12 of the Commanders’ last 21 games. Over two games this season, he has largely underwhelmed, completing 29 of 51 passes (56.9%) for 260 yards and three touchdowns with 100 yards on 12 carries in a pair of defeats.

Since joining the franchise as the No. 2 overall selection of the 2024 NFL Draft, Daniels is 14-12 as a starter. The overwhelming majority of those wins came during his 12-4 rookie campaign. 

That '24 season, in which Washington advanced to the NFC Championship Game, seems like a lifetime ago now. But the Commanders have gone 4-8 without Daniels in the past two years. 

Thus, his return is a very welcomed one, with further hope that he'll return to past phenomenal form against the first-place Giants (3-1).