Caleb Williams’ Hamstring & Jayden Daniels’ Gruesome Elbow Injury Might Ruin Their Seasons, Social Media Reacts

Week Two of the NFL season got off to a rough start for two of the league’s most dynamic quarterbacks. Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels were both carted off this Sunday in their respective games.

But the news is better for Williams than it is for Daniels. Reports say that despite pulling up with what at first looked like a serious knee injury, Williams likely just strained a hamstring, according to reports. He went down in the fourth quarter vs. the Vikings with a non-contact injury and was wheeled off the field with tears in his eyes and a towel over his head.

But Monday morning, it seemed Williams may be OK to play next week, though the team has not yet confirmed. NFL insider Tom Pelissero announced the news as a “massive sigh of relief” for the Bears and their fans.

It was an anemic performance to that point for the QB and for Chicago against the Vikings, who won the game 9-3 with the help of defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ smothering defense. Williams was 15 for 26 for 138 yards. He rushed for 42 yards, but was sacked three times.

Last Sunday, Chicago scored 59 points against the Carolina Panthers, who lost 59-37.

However, the news for Daniels is not as promising. Daniels suffered an elbow injury in the last play of the first half against the Cowboys when bracing himself after an errant snap and apparently stepping on a teammate’s foot. The injury looked so bad that it caused Fox announcer Tom Brady to say “Oh s–” live on the air after the replay was shown.

Before the injury, Daniels had 11 completions on 17 pass attempts for 96 yards and one TD. He also had seven rushes for 69 yards.

The Cowboys won the game 37-20.

After the game, the Commanders announced that Daniels has a dislocated elbow, the same elbow he injured last season. Questions about Daniels’s durability emerged when he missed ten games for the elbow, a strained hamstring, and a knee sprain. Some observers believe he’s just too slight for the NFL.

“X-ray showed no fracture,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said on Sunday night. “More imaging tomorrow.

He added, “Man, we’re bummed for him. I thought he was, like, really playing his (expletive) off. … I was just disheartened for him. Like, I know what he’s gone through.”

Quinn took his fair share of criticism for having Daniels on the field in the first place so close to the half.

The Commanders say Daniels’ elbow isn’t fractured, but he will have more imaging done on Monday. Sports doc Brian Sutterer, who covers sports injuries on YouTube, explains above what he believes happened.

While he’s not treating Daniels and hasn’t evaluated him, his analysis of sports-related injuries is very often correct. He believes, depending on what imaging shows and the previous elbow injury, that Daniels may need surgery. That would have him out for weeks. If there’s any good news, it’s that the dislocation is not on this throwing arm.

But it’s another disappointment for Commanders fans who’ve had renewed hope after years of ineptitude. The #2 pick out of LSU, Daniels was named the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year after leading the team to a 12-5 record and the NFC Championship Game.

Though they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, Daniels was anointed one of the league’s most promising QBs. But now that future is in question.

“I feel bad for the Washington Commanders’ fan base,” Stephen A. Smith said on First Take. “This is RG3 written all over it again.”

Smith referenced former Commanders QB Robert Griffin III, whose NFL career was cut short by injuries.

Smith added, “It’s not this brother’s talent because when he’s behind center, and he’s back there flinging that football, you have all the faith in the world. But he’s one of those guys – it almost looks like what can go wrong will go wrong injury-wise.”

Backup Marcus Mariota will take over at QB for the immediate future until more is known about Daniels’ prognosis.

See social media’s reaction to the frustrating early injuries below.