Jayden Daniels put together a strong showing at LSU's pro day Wednesday. But the biggest talking point was not anything he did on the field.
The buzz out of the Tigers' pro day centered on Daniels' elbow — to be specific, one odd-looking photo of his elbow.
The LSU quarterback, who was taken No. 2 overall by the Commanders at the draft, performed alongside his Tigers teammates in Baton Rouge, showing off his arm in front of a large group of NFL scouts and front office members. He is widely expected to be a top-three pick in April's draft.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport posted on X, formerly Twitter, about Daniels and the NFL teams scheduled to meet with him. But the photo attached to the post took center stage.
While it's unclear exactly when the picture was taken, it was not from Daniels' pro day. The LSU quarterback sported long sleeves in front of the scouts.
Still, the close-up shot of Daniels (and his elbow) undoubtedly garnered the most buzz on Wednesday. Here is what we know about Daniels' elbow ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
MORE: Takeaways from Jayden Daniels performance at LSU pro day
Jayden Daniels elbow
The viral photo of Daniels in the middle of his throwing motion seems to show a knob-like protrusion at the end of his elbow.
But Daniels and LSU have not commented on the photo, and the 23-year-old quarterback was not asked about it at his pro day.
That didn't stop the social media speculation, though. Several medical personnel gave their opinions on viral photo (as well as other photos of Daniels), providing possible explanations.
Dr. Jesse Morse, a sports and family medicine physician for The Osteopathic Center in Miami, cited elbow (olecranon) bursitis as his best guess at the cause.
"This is an inflammation of the bursa, which is a sac that is usually empty and is there to protect the bone underneath," Morse wrote. "We have them in several joints including the elbow and the knee.
"'Banging' your elbow against a hard surface often results in inflammation of the bursa, causing the body to fill it with fluid."
Bursitis in the elbow is "very common" and "more annoying than concerning," Morse wrote.
"These can be drained (aspirated) with a needle, but often these will fill back up," Morse continued. "I’ve had good success with injecting PRP (plasma from the blood) to make these go away permanently.
"…These usually do not have a negative impacts on the player/person. This should not impact his ability to throw or cause any pain. Literally just a visual oddity."
Daniels' elbow protrusion is not confirmed to be elbow bursitis. But if it is, there appear to be no long-term concerns for the NFL prospect.
Daniels certainly believes so:
What is elbow bursitis?
Elbow bursitis, also known as olecranon bursitis, "occurs in the olecranon bursa, a thin, fluid-filled sac that is located at the boney tip of the elbow (the olecranon)," according to OrthoInfo.
"Normally, the olecranon bursa is flat. If it becomes irritated or inflamed, more fluid will accumulate in the bursa and bursitis will develop."
Trauma, prolonged pressure, infection and medical conditions are cited as reasons for elbow bursitis.
