Commanders QB Jayden Daniels exits loss to Vikings early; Zach Ertz suffers serious knee injury

Copied!

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels exited Sunday’s 31-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings with a left elbow injury in the third quarter and did not return.

Daniels hurt his left elbow after throwing an interception during Washington’s opening drive of the second half. As linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel ran with the ball, Daniels hit the turf hard as a Vikings defender was making a block on the INT return.

The Commanders QB held his arm in pain before running off to the sideline. He was evaluated in the blue medical tent before getting a questionable designation.

Marcus Mariota took the field on the Commanders’ next possession, throwing an INT four plays later. The Vikings held a 14-0 lead at the time of Daniels’ injury.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn told reporters after the game that Daniels was held out for precautionary reasons and could have returned to the game.

Related Links

Daniels dislocated that same elbow in Week 9, forcing him out for three games and setting the table for his return on Sunday. He was 9-of-20 passing for 78 yards with no touchdowns and one INT after exiting.

Quinn said Sunday that he expects Daniels to play in Week 15 when Washington (3-10) plays at the New York Giants (2-11).

Daniels wasn’t the only Washington starter to be sidelined during Sunday’s game.

Veteran tight end Zach Ertz was ruled out in the third quarter with a knee injury. Ertz’s leg bent backwards after he was hit by Vikings safety Jay Ward as he attempted to haul in a Marcus Mariota pass. The Commanders TE was carted into the locker room.

Quinn told reporters that the concern was for Ertz’s ACL and that the “early signals aren’t good.”

Ertz, 35, played 34 snaps and had one catch on two targets for 11 yards at the time of his departure.

Read More