Daniels carted off with left elbow injury, ruled out vs. Cowboys

Ruled out

Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels was carted off and ruled out for the rest of Sunday’s game at Dallas after a left elbow injury on the final play of the first half.

Watch the carted-off clip (ESPN / FOX)

How it happened

Per ESPN’s John Keim from AT&T Stadium:

• 3rd-and-goal from the Dallas 1, three seconds left in the half
• Daniels’ feet appeared to get stepped on by left guard Chris Paul at the snap
• He started to fall and tried to brace with his left elbow, which bent back
• He flung a pass attempt, stayed down, got up, started to leave, then went down again
• Trainers checked him; he left on a cart

ESPN’s in-game injury board still listed him as elbow / questionable earlier in the third; the club/ESPN update is ruled out for the remainder.

What he was doing before it

Daniels had dragged Washington back into the game — 11-of-17, 96 yards through the air, 7 rushes for 69 yards, plus a touchdown to Stefon Diggs after Washington trailed 17-3. Then the goal-line sequence at the end of the half produced zero points and this injury. Our desk already flagged the no-field-goal call.

History we’re not inventing a diagnosis from

Daniels dislocated that same left elbow last season (Week 9 at Seattle), returned about four weeks later, then reinjured it trying to make a tackle after an interception in Week 14 at Minnesota and missed the rest of 2025. Today’s mechanism looked ugly on the broadcast — we’re not calling this a confirmed dislocation until the Commanders say so. It’s a serious left-elbow injury, he’s done for this game, and imaging / return window comes next.

Photos

*Stacy Revere / Getty Images via ESPN — Daniels on the turf after the play.*

*ESPN / FOX still — towel over the head as he’s attended to before leaving.*

Live board

Game center: Commanders at Cowboys

*Live desk, Sep. 20, 2026. Sequence and ruled-out update from ESPN game coverage (event 401872944 / Keim); video clip ESPN id 49993297.*