Kurt Warner Clarifies Jayden Daniels Injury Comments After Backlash
The short version
- Kurt Warner said his comments on Jayden Daniels' elbow were meant to offer hope, not question his toughness
- Warner suffered the same injury in 2007 and played the next week with a brace and pain injections
- Commanders GM Adam Peters said surgery is not on the table and injured reserve has not been discussed
- Daniels consulted specialists across the country before the update
- A timeline for Daniels' return has not been determined
The Hall of Fame quarterback said he was offering hope, not questioning Daniels' toughness, after comparing the dislocated elbow to his own 2007 injury.
Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner moved this week to clarify comments he made about Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and his dislocated elbow, after some listeners interpreted his remarks as a criticism of the young passer's toughness.
Warner, who now works as a media analyst, addressed the injury on ESPN's NFL Live on Monday. He noted that he suffered the same injury in 2007 and played the following week with the elbow braced. Because Daniels' injury is to his left arm, Warner said he believes the quarterback can return without it affecting his throwing, though it could affect his running and mobility.
Following a wave of negative reaction, Warner posted a message on Instagram explaining himself. He said his own situation was not identical to Daniels' and that his intent was to give hope to a Washington fan base that may have feared the season was lost when Daniels went down.
Warner repeated that explanation Friday on The Ryen Russillo Show. He said that after his 2007 injury he received pain injections before games and played with a stabilizing brace because doctors told him the injury would not get worse, and that his point was simply that a short-term return was possible for Daniels.
"I'm doing nothing of the sort," Warner said of the suggestion he was calling Daniels weak. "I'm simply just saying, here is an experience where I had it; I played; it's possible that he comes back in the short term, not the long term."
The comments came amid a more encouraging outlook for Daniels. General Manager Adam Peters said Friday on the Sports Junkies that the quarterback consulted specialists across the country and that surgery is not currently being considered, nor has a stint on injured reserve been discussed.
Peters said Daniels returned from those consultations late Thursday night and that team officials were meeting with doctors Friday morning to determine the best course of action. How and when Daniels returns to the field remains to be decided.
Daniels dislocated his elbow for the second time, according to the report, which left Washington fans concerned about the trajectory of the season. The news that surgery is off the table for now has eased those fears.
Warner, who won two NFL MVP awards over a 12-year career that ended after the 2009 season, reiterated that his goal was to reassure the fan base rather than cast doubt on Daniels' toughness.
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