It seems like Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels is trying to make the best of things despite a horrific injury that could alter his career. But apparently Kurt Warner sees it differently, as he urged Daniels to suck it up and play with his elbow injury, according to a post on Reddit.
âÂÂI suffered the exact same injury back in âÂÂ07,â Warner said. âÂÂ(And) I played the next week. I braced it up. Obviously a couple of shots along the way. I had to hand the football off with my right hand in both directions. But this to me is something, because itâÂÂs the left arm. If he wants to play through that and get back out there and help his team, I believe he can. ItâÂÂs not going to be one of those things that affects the throwing part of things.âÂÂ
Dr. Warner â excuse me, I mean, Warner â played at 6-foot-2 and 214 pounds, according to Pro Football Reference. Daniels is two inches taller and weighs less. But even still, why would Warner make this claim before Daniels or the team has decided to go ahead with surgery or rehab the injury?
Should Commanders QB Jayden Daniels keep playing?
According to Warner, itâÂÂs a matter of toughness. This looks like a clear shot at Daniels' toughness. It seems arrogant, and an I'm-tougher-than-you-are stance. Self-serving. Remember that Daniels already missed more than half of last season with the same injury. So does Warner believe Daniels didnâÂÂt have the guts to play last year?
Warner said Daniels simply needs to play and deal with it.
âÂÂDoes it affect his movement?â Warner said. âÂÂDoes it affect him running, or some of the things they want to do by design? Maybe. But I do believe this is something that he can come back from. And because itâÂÂs the left arm, I donâÂÂt think itâÂÂs something we worry about long term, and go, âÂÂOh, should we extend this guy because heâÂÂs had this type of injury, and had this injury twice?â I believe itâÂÂs something he can play through.âÂÂ
LetâÂÂs ask actual doctors. Daniels is in a tough spot, according to USA Today.
âÂÂHeâÂÂs going to have some tough choices to make,â Houston Methodist HospitalâÂÂs Dr. David Litner told USA TODAY Sports.
And the fact that this is a recurrence matters, according to Dr. Francis Alberta, who is an orthopedic surgeon at Hackensack Meridian in New Jersey. Alberta said this isn't a common repeat injury.
âÂÂI think itâÂÂs important to understand that this is really unusual and the recurrence rates are really low,â Alberta said.
Litner added, âÂÂIt makes you think maybe those ligaments just didnâÂÂt heal as securely as he would have hoped.âÂÂ
WarnerâÂÂs tough-guy take basically got debunked by medical professionals.
âÂÂHe will have this mechanism happen again to him when he falls,â NYU Langone sports orthopedic surgeon Dr. Laith Jazrawi said. âÂÂAnd now that itâÂÂs happened to him twice, I think there will be a lot more discussion, depending on what the MRI shows, of potentially stabilizing this.âÂÂ
Regardless, it may not be a season-ending injury. Daniels could potentially return, Litner said.
âÂÂMaybe he ends up having the surgery now, maybe after the season,â Litner said. âÂÂOr maybe they manage it non-surgically. And he does well the rest of the season so they defer surgery again. ItâÂÂs not a black-and-white injury like an ACL (tear) type.âÂÂ

