Marcus Mariota will start in Week 4 against Colts

Daniels was limited in practice on Wednesday and was on the practice field again today, presumably for another limited session. He isn’t expected to play this week, but any amount of practice this soon is a good sign. He told reporters he won’t make a final decision on surgery until after the season. He is, however, at least holding off until the offseason. Marcus Mariota will almost certainly start again this week. Daniels will then have a chance to return in Week 5 against the Giants.

It looks like Daniels will log some practice time ahead of the Commanders’ Week 4 London matchup against the Colts, less than two weeks after suffering yet another elbow injury. ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Tuesday that Daniels will likely require surgery on the elbow after the season. That raises questions about whether he can return and play as he usually does in the coming months. For now it looks like Marcus Mariota will get a second straight start for Washington. He’ll be usable in superflex formats against a middling Colts coverage unit.

Just like we all predicted. Mariota was mostly dinking and dunking — particularly in the first half — but he was able to make plays in the red zone, and found Terry McLaurin for a 30-yard touchdown in the second quarter. There wasn’t much scrambling — the Seahawks simply didn’t pressure him that often. He did briefly leave the field with what appeared to be a leg issue, but he was able to return without missing a snap. Mariota will try and back this up against the Colts in Week 4, with that game taking place in London.

Frankly, this report comes off as more of a recap than breaking news. The Commanders do not yet know when Daniels will return, though they are optimistic that he will miss fewer than four games. According to Rapoport, the goal is to get him back “as soon as possible” and “as safe as possible.” Backup QB
Marcus Mariota

will start in his stead.

Peters clarified that this is the plan for Daniels right now, adding that he only recently returned to the team after meeting with several experts. That said, when considering that a stint on the IR would require Daniels to miss at least four games, it would be safe to assume that the team is hoping for a speedy recovery that wouldn’t require him to miss more than three games, putting him on a week-to-week timetable to return. Daniels has already been ruled out for Week 3’s game against the Seahawks and could also be a long shot to play in Week 4’s game against the Colts in London. Daniels will likely wear a brace for the remainder of the season in hopes of stabilizing his elbow, which he first dislocated last season in Week 9. Marcus Mariota will draw the start this week and threw for 1,695-10-7 in 11 games last season.

Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed Pelissero’s report shortly after it was announced. The 0-2 Commanders will host the Seahawks for their home opener with Mariota under center in what has become an all-too-familiar sight for Commanders fans. With Jayden Daniels (elbow) out for the foreseeable future, Mariota will likely make multiple starts in the coming weeks. The former No. 2 overall pick threw for 1,695 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 11 games last season while leading the team to a 2-6 record in his eight starts. Mariota has proven to be a viable option in 2QB/Superflex leagues, but he should be avoided in this week’s tough matchup against the Seahawks.

Mariota came on in relief of Jayden Daniels, who exited in the second quarter with a brutal elbow injury. Mariota came out slinging to start the second half and nearly had a 29-yard touchdown pass to Dyami Brown that was confirmed to be incomplete upon further review. Mariota did lead the Commanders on a touchdown drive midway through the fourth quarter when he connected with Stefon Diggs for a 20-yard touchdown that Diggs caught on a leaping play in the end zone. With Daniels likely set to miss some extended time, we would expect Mariota to be under center in Week 3 when the Commanders play host to the Seahawks. Mariota shouldn’t be trusted as anything more than a mid to low-end QB2 if he draws the start.

Frankly, a pretty good update considering how quickly Mariota exited the field on Friday. The Commanders will likely pick up another quarterback to help navigate the final two weeks of the preseason. Mariota will be the backup for the season opener if healthy.

Mariota appeared to injure his knee when he turned to hand the ball off to his running back, and immediately started limping. He was seemingly patting his right knee while sitting on the field, talking to trainers after the play. He was able to leave the field under his own power, but we do not expect him to return. He was replaced by QB Sam Hartman.

He’ll remain the backup behind Jayden Daniels in Washington. Mariota runs enough to remain a stable backup and superflex QB2 when he is on the field. Things will change a bit in Washington in 2026 without Kliff Kingsbury, but Mariota is in a decent spot to find work behind Daniels and it’s a worthwhile investment for the Commanders.