The game is on as Jayden Daniels is ready to return. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Thursday that the Washington Commanders quarterback is “full go” for Sunday’s game against the Giants, almost two weeks after he dislocated his left elbow against the Cowboys in Week 2.

It was the second time in less than a year that Daniels hurt that same elbow. The first dislocation cost him multiple games last season, and many feared another long absence. Instead, he missed only Weeks 3 and 4.

Tom Pelissero reported last week that a full week of practice without setbacks would mean Daniels plays. Schefter’s update points in the same direction. The injury is to his non-throwing arm, so the real test is how the elbow handles contact.

Commanders Offensive Coordinator David Blough confirmed the same, stating that the third-year quarterback hasn’t faced any challenges or limitations since his recovery.

“He’s full go, man. We’re looking forward to having him back,” Blough told John Keim of ESPN.

Daniels returned to practice on Wednesday in full capacity. However, his return to practice isn’t as breaking news as one would expect. He was a limited participant in every single practice session of last week. That’s precisely why head coach Dan Quinn remained optimistic about his return.

“He’ll have a full week of practice Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. That’s the goal that he could get into that space,” he told the reporters earlier this week. “The goal for Jayden to throw a full week. He was able to do some limited this week, and this week would be the plan for him to do all the reps.”

Unlike last season, Daniels’ injury was less severe. The X-ray showed no fracture, and doctors were able to work the elbow right back in. Washington GM Adam Peters revealed they got multiple expert opinions on the quarterback’s injury. All assured that surgery is not required, ending any long-term worries.

And the timing couldn’t be better. Washington felt Daniels’ absence deeply. Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota beat the Seattle Seahawks 33-31 in Week 3, but the offense stalled in a 30-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in London.

Things became worse when Mariota left the game with an MCL sprain, and 2026 seventh-round pick Athan Kaliakmanis went 15-of-33 for 186 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Now, with 3.5-point favorites against the Giants, the Commanders could finally aim to move up the NFC East ladder. However, the team has a bigger concern to deal with.

Daniels might be returning soon, but his second injury fueled another concern about whether he can protect himself on the field. On top of that, Washington is awaiting injury updates on two of its top offensive linemen: Sam Cosmi and Nick Allegretti.

After sitting out last week, both were marked limited on Wednesday’s Injury Report. For now, the team is hoping for Cosmi to return ahead of Week 5.

“We’re hopeful Sam is going to be back into the fold this week,” Quinn told the reporters. “He’ll likely rejoin practice in his return to play. So that definitely helps.”

‘By help,’ he means taking some pressure off Daniels. Having the starting right guard back, the Commanders could work on boosting their run game. So far, they haven’t scored beyond 100 rushing yards.

Based on that, whether Washington’s season stabilizes on Sunday depends less on Daniels’ health than on the line in front of him. The focus needs to be on protecting the quarterback better, and the Commanders might finally get the record-breaking 2024 season back.