Jayden Daniels #5, quarterback of the Washington Commanders scrambles against the Dallas Cowboys during the first half of Sunday’s NFL football game. Daniels would get injured during the quarter of the game at AT&T Field in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
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There now may be yet another shutdown in Washington, DC—this time on the football field. On Sunday, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels went down with a right hamstring injury in the third quarter of their matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. He’s scheduled to undergo an MRI of that area on Monday, But if Daniels did suffer at least a moderate grade hamstring strain then the Commanders coaching staff may have to shut him down for a while to give that muscle time to heal.
The injury resulted just several minutes into the third quarter with the Commanders trailing the Cowboys 34-14. Daniels was looking to throw the ball but got hit by Cowboys linebacker Shemar James and lost the ball in the process. Daniels’ right leg got twisted rather awkwardly, which presumably led to the hamstring injury. The big sign was that Daniels was grabbing the back of his right leg pretty soon afterwards. He managed to limp off the field while holding that area. Eventually, after he got evaluated in the medical tent, he proceeded into the locker, never to return to the game.
What Is a Hamstring Strain?
Although Daniels’ diagnosis won’t be clear until he undergoes an MRI on that area on Monday, the leading possibility right now is some kind of hamstring strain. Your hamstring muscles includes three muscles that comprise the back of your upper leg: the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscles. You contract these muscles when you bend your heel towards your butt when you run or jump.
A hamstring strain is when you stretch or tear fibers in one or more of these muscles. It is also known as a hamstring pull or hamstring tear. There is a grading system that rates the severity of a hamstring strain, as described by the Cleveland Clinic:
- Grade 1. This is considered a mild strain. At most a small amount of the muscle is torn.
- Grade 2. This is a moderate strain with partial tearing of a muscle,
- Grade 3. This is the most severe grade of strain with muscles completely torn
How Do You Treat A Hamstring Injury?
The typical treatment regimens for a hamstring strain sound a bit like dinner. First, there’s the RICE method, with RICE being an acronym for rest, ice, compression and elevation. It should be obvious what rest is. Periodically icing the area can reduce the swelling and inflammation. Wrapping the area with compression bandages and elevating your leg above your heart can reduce the swelling as well.
Then there’s the MEAT method. The MEAT if it stands for movement, exercise, analgesia and therapy. The movement should be gentle to keep the blood flowing and the area from getting stiff. This would not be the time to join the Radio City Rockettes. Similarly, exercises should gradually and carefully advanced to strengthen the area. Analgesia is a fancier medical term for the use of pain relievers. And treatment frequently consists of some type of physical therapy.
Surgery is usually reserved for some grade 3 strains where the muscle cannot heal completely by itself.
How Long Will It Take For Daniels To Recover?
The best case scenario for the Commanders is that this was no more than a grade 1 injury. That would require only about two to five days for recovery. But anything more severe than a grade 1 would take weeks to months for Daniels to recover. Naturally, any kind of surgery would add more time to his recovery.
Daniels’ Injury Is Yet Another Injury Hit To The Washington Commanders
The Commanders have already been commanding a lot of attention from the medical staff this season. Injuries have sidelined the team’s three leading wide receivers: Terry McLaurin with a quadriceps injury, Deebo Samuel who is healing from a heel injury and Noah Brown, who’s out with a groin injury. Back in week 2, the Commanders lost running back Austin Ekeler with a torn Achilles tendon. The Washington Commanders aren’t exactly washed up yet for the 2025-2026 NFL season. But a 3-4 start following a 44-22 loss to Dallas on Sunday is falling below the team’s expectations for this season. And having Jayden Daniels hobbled is going to further hamstring their chances of improving on last year’s playoff appearance.