Tom Brady had a very relatable reaction when he saw a replay of an injury suffered by Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels — except his was broadcast on national television.
“Oh s***,” Brady, 49, said from the Fox broadcast booth on Sunday, September 20, as he and play-by-play partner Kevin Burkhardt saw Daniels, 25, sustain a dislocated elbow while facing the Dallas Cowboys.
Brady quickly realized his gaffe, saying, “Excuse me.”
Daniels’ left elbow bent unnaturally when he attempted to steady himself during the final play of the first half at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Daniels was carted off the field with an air cast on his left arm and a towel over his head.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn told reporters after the game that X-rays showed no fracture in Daniels’ arm. Daniels is scheduled to undergo further testing on Monday, September 21.
When asked if he expects Daniels to return to the lineup at some point this season, Quinn, 56, said, “I haven’t had any reason to think otherwise.”
Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota came in to finish the game for the Commanders, who fell to the Cowboys, 37-20, and have started the season 0-2.
“Early in my career, you try to suppress those feelings and emotions,” Mariota, 32, said after the game about filling in for Daniels. “But I found that you just have to kind of be vulnerable and just talk about how you feel. And in that moment, my first inkling is just thinking about the guy. You worry, you think about his mental [health], you think about what he’s gone through.”
Daniels suffered a series of injuries during the 2025 season, which limited him to just seven games. Mariota is expected to start at quarterback for the Commanders until Daniels returns.
“I tried to control my emotions,” Commanders running back Rachaad White said on Sunday. “But I had tears coming down. I feel for him.”
Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin said Daniels’ injury “took the air out of us a little bit.”
“Just trying to score before half, and he went down,” he told reporters. “We know we had to get back in the locker room to make our adjustments, but no one wanted to leave the field. That’s our brother.”
McLaurin, 31, added, “We have a lot of faith in Marcus. We’ll keep supporting Jayden, he’ll be around the building. It’s only Week 2. We know he’ll be back. But at the same time, we have to raise our level of play so Marcus feels our support.”
The Commanders return to action on Sunday, September 27, when they host the Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks.
