Hall of Fame linebacker Kurt Warner says Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels can play through the left elbow injury he suffered Sunday.
Warner, who now appears on ESPNdescribed suffering the same injury in 2007 and not missing a game.
“I had the same injury in ’07, and I played the next week,” Warner said. “I stepped it up, obviously some shots along the way, I had to take the football away with my right hand both ways, but that to me is something, because it’s left-handed, if he wants to play through that, and get back out there and help his team, I believe he can. It’s not going to be one of those things that affects his movement, affects his movement, affects the movement of his stuff. Maybe, but I believe that’s something that he can come back from, because he’s on the left wing, I don’t think it’s something we worry about long-term and go, ‘Should we extend this guy because he’s had this type of injury?’ I believe it’s something he can play.”
Warner said that as a player, his mentality would be to do whatever he can to help his team win.
“I can take it and go,” Warner said. “I don’t care about all that stuff. Let me go out there and play, I want to be out there with my guys instead of thinking about it a year or two later.”
Warner suffered an injury to his left elbow in the Week 6 of 2007 when he was sacked by Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers. Warner missed the rest of that game, and when the injury was first diagnosed, he was expected to miss more time, but instead he played in Week 7, wearing a large brace on his left elbow, and started every game for the Cardinals the rest of the season. Warner played well on the field and was named the starter in 2008 after starting in 2007 as the backup to Matt Leinart, and in 2008 Warner led the Cardinals to the Super Bowl.
What’s not known is whether Warner is right to call his injury “the same injury” that Daniels had. Daniels’ left elbow injury could be more severe and it may not be possible for him to play, even with a severe left elbow sprain. Warner showed incredible consistency, but that doesn’t necessarily make it the right decision for Daniels.
