The Washington Commanders might reportedly get their young star quarterback, Jayden Daniels, back from a dislocated left elbow "sooner rather than later." His seemingly expedited return is night and day compared to the slow burn of Jaxson Dart's season-ending knee injury.
Surgery is "very much in play" for Daniels, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, albeit not until after the year. The 2024 No. 2 overall pick is delaying the inevitable, with hopes of helping the Commanders compete while avoiding any setbacks. That's a fine line to walk — one that carries significant risk.
Daniels' eagerness to retake the field so quickly is commendable; he wants to fulfill his duty as Washington's leader. At some point, though, the team has to step in and protect the player from himself, as the New York Giants did with Dart.
Yes, they're dealing with two completely different diagnoses, yet the contrast between the two NFC East squads' handling of their injured ascending signal-callers is stark.
Jaxson Dart injury makes Jayden Daniels' speedy return eye-opening
In a pretty unexpected turn of events, Daniels went from having an MRI and gathering medical opinions to possibly suiting up in Week 4. He's clearly pushing to rejoin the Commanders' lineup, and it's working, but at what cost?
Meanwhile, Dart experienced several twists in the opposite direction. The former Ole Miss star was initially ruled questionable after getting hurt in New York's 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He even tried to reenter the contest in the first half, according to Schefter's colleague, Jordan Raanan.
It appeared the Giants averted disaster, and Dart was believed to have suffered an MCL sprain, or so we thought. Further testing led to a left knee procedure that will sideline him through 2026. And thus, the club acquired the Minnesota Vikings' third-string QB, J.J. McCarthy, to replace what they lost.
New York is evidently prioritizing the future, even if it means short-term regression. They recognize that Dart is only 23 and has his whole career ahead of him. The goal is to ensure their most important asset is healthy for the long haul.
Jayden Daniels, Commanders aren't learning from Robert Griffin III's story arc
Washington is playing with fire, as fans have learned the hard way. While Daniels will wear a brace for the rest of the campaign, he won't be at 100 percent and could still do additional damage to his arm. Look no further than what happened to Robert Griffin III a little over a decade ago.
Griffin tried playing through a knee injury as a rookie QB in 2012. He wore a brace and soldiered on with a noticeable limp, successfully leading the Commanders to the playoffs, and the rest is history. His status went from bad to worse in a 24-14 Wild Card loss to the Seattle Seahawks, going down with a torn LCL, ACL and meniscus.
As the story goes, Griffin never regained the electrifying form that earned him Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He eventually lost his job in Washington and flamed out of the NFL by the age of 30.
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