Jayden Daniels' season is officially over. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the Commanders have shut down Daniels for the remainder of 2025 as he continues to recover from an aggravated dislocation of his left elbow. Daniels was re-evaluated Monday and was not medically cleared to return.
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With Daniels expected to miss Saturday's game against Philadelphia and then facing a short turnaround for a Christmas Day matchup with Dallas, Washington opted to take the long view and end his second season.
Daniels' rise last year was rapid and impressive. The 2024 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year led Washington all the way to the NFC Championship Game in his debut season and quickly became the face of the franchise.
Year two never found that rhythm.
A series of injuries, including knee, hamstring and elbow issues, limited Daniels to just seven games. Even when available, continuity was hard to find. He never played more than three games in a row and was frequently managing something physically.
Statistically, Daniels finished the season completing 60.6 percent of his passes for 1,262 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions. He added 278 rushing yards and two scores on the ground, averaging 4.8 yards per carry. The flashes were there, but the consistency never followed.
Washington will now turn to Marcus Mariota to close out the season. Mariota is set to start the final three games against Philadelphia, Dallas and Philadelphia again. On the year, he has completed 62.0 percent of his passes for 1,600 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while rushing for 298 yards and a score.
For the Commanders, the priority is clear. Get Daniels healthy, reset the calendar, and hope 2026 looks a lot more like his rookie year than this one.
